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«TY OF ILLINOIS 
gGRICULTURE LIBRARY 


‘THE CULTIVATED NATIVE PLUMS AND 
e CHERRIES. 


ee Lite POMS: 


¢@1. CLASSIFICATION OF THE CULTIVATED NATIVE PLUMS. 
A. The Americana Group. 
B. The Wild Goose Group. 
C. The Miner Group. 
D. The Chickasaw Group. 
E. The Marianna Group. 
F. The Beach Plum. 

G. Prunus subcordata. 

H. Hybrids, 

I. Unclassified Varieties. 


392. CULTIVATION OF THE NATIVE PLUMS. 
I, Impotent Varieties. Planting. 
2. Propagation. 
3. Varieties. 
jee 4. Insects and Diseases. 
wt 
= Since the introduction of the Wild Goose plum some forty 
= years ago, there has been a steadily growing interest in the ameli- 


oration of our native plums. ‘The native species possess certain 


— 


»advantages over the common plums of the Prunus domestica 


~~ type,* and they are so widely distributed and are naturally so 


= variable that they have been easily brought into cultivation under 
a great number of forms. Over 150 varieties have been named 
= and more or less disseminated, and the following pages record 140. 


iE 


* The common plums and the prunes belong to the European species Pra- 
nus domestica. In the following pages these fruits are often referred to as 
the domestica plunis. 


230910 


4 BULLETIN. 38. 


There has been no attempt, so far as I know, to make a compre- 
hensive study of these fruits, and as a consequence our knowledge 
of them is vague and confused. In fact, the native plums constitute 
probably the hardest knot in American pomology. The botanical 
status of the native plums is equally unsatisfactory, and the 
group is one of the most inextricably confused of any one of 
equal extent in our whole flora. There are few botanical features 
which are reliable in the characterization of the species, and the 
specimens which are preserved in the leading herbaria are few and 
unsatisfactory. There is probably no group of American plants in 
which the characters of growing trees and fresh fruits are more es- 
sential in the distinguishing of species than in these plums. Yet 
there are the most remarkable variations in habit of tree, seasons 
of blooming and ripening, size, flavor and texture of fruit, and 
characters of stone,even among varieties coming presumably from 
the same species. Fully half of the varieties now in cultivation 
were picked up in woods and copses and transferred to the or- 
chard, and the variations between these varieties are fully as great 
as between those of known or garden origin. There is evidence 
that hybridity is responsible for some of the variation of cultivated 
forms, but whether it takes place in nature is wholly a matter of 
conjecture. It is an unsafe principle to invoke the aid of hybridity, 
upon purely speculative grounds, to explain doubtful points ; and 
I have therefore referred doubtful forms directly to the most 
closely allied species or type, so far as possible, leaving specula- 
tions as to their true affinities to future students. The native 
plums can be commended with confidence to any one who desires 
to study contemporary evolution. 

In the following study, which has now extended through six 
years, I have had the co-operation of many botanists and horti- 
culturists. I am under especial obligations to all those whose 
names are mentioned in this paper, particularly to J. W. Kerr, 
Denton, Maryland, and TIT. V. Munson, Denison, Texas. With- 
out the aid given by these last two persons the preparation of this 
monograph would have been impossible. Mr. Kerr probably has 
the largest growing collection of native plums in existence, and I 
have had the advantage of a personal inspection of his orchards 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 5 


inthe fruit season. JI have had access to the herbarium collec- 
tions at Harvard University, Columbia College, Department of 
Agriculture, andthe Engelmann Collection of the Missouri Botan- 
ical Gardens. Several botanists have favored me with material, 
especially Dr. C. EH. Bessey, University of Nebraska, Dr. T’. C. 
Porter, Easton, Penn., and H. N. Patterson, Oquawka, Illinois. 
And I have enjoyed the great advantage of having had the advice 
of Professor C. S. Sargent, who has critically examined some two 
or three hundred of our specimens. In the following descriptions, 
those varieties marked C are in cultivation at Cornell. 


S1. Classification of the Cultivated Native Plums. 


A. THE AMERICANA Group. (Prunus Americana, Marshall, 
Arbustrum Americanum, 111, [1785]). 


To this type belong the hardy, strong growing varieties which 
have come from the northwest, and which are characterized by a 
firm, meaty, usually compressed, dull-colored late fruit, with 
thick and usually very tough, glaucous skin, and large more or 
less flattened stone which is often nearly or quite free, and by 
large obovate, thick, veiny, jagged, dull leaves. Prunus Amert- 
cana is generally distributed throughout the Northern States from 
Western New England to Kansas and Nebraska, and to the mount- 
ains of Montana and Colorado, in the middle longitudes reaching as 
far north as Manitoba and as far south as Texas and even northern 
Mexico. Notwithstanding its wide range, most of its cultivated 
varieties have come from its northwestern limits, as northern 
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas. This fact is 
indication that the western plum may be a distinct species from 
the eastern and southwestern types, and I should not be sur- 
prised if we ultimately find this to be true. I have looked in 
vain, however, for characters with which to separate them. Pro- 
fessor Sargent is of the opinion that the Prunus nigra of Aiton 
should be revived to designate those forms which are character- 
ized by very flat and smooth stones, very broad leaves, glandular 
leaf-stalks and calyx lobes, and large flowers. To this species 
he would refer the Weaver, the stones of which, as shown in Fig. 


6 au; , BULLETIN 38. 


I, are very large, flat and smooth. After the most careful study, 
however, I am unable to. find any constancy in these characters, 
especially in cultivated varieties. Even in wild specimens, the 
flat stone of P. xzgra is often associated with the glandless leaf- 
stalks of P. Americana, and vice versa ; and there appears to be 
equal inconstancy in the characters of calyx lobes and sizes of 
flowers. In fact, the same cultivated variety, when grown in 
different places, has been referred to both species. I am obliged, 
therefore, for the purposes of this paper, to unite Prunus nigra 
with P. Americana. ‘This I regret the more because it is un- 
doubtedly true that there are two well marked wild varieties— 
possibly species—passing as P.Americana, and growing together 
in the East. One is a twiggy, virgate grower, with large and 
mostly earlier flowers; the other is a stout and stiff grower with 
small flowers. So far as I have been able to determine, the 
fruits and stones of these two forms, save possibly in time of 
ripening, are not characteristically distinct. These forms are 
certainly common in central New York and in Michigan, where 
I have often observed them. Dudley records them in Cayuga 
Flora.* Some of these differences are detailed in the following 
letter from Professor Charles A. Davis, of Alma, Michigan, ac- 
companying specimens of the trees mentioned. The specimens 
were referred to Professor Sargent, who places the first or large- 
flowered form with P. zzgra and the small-flowered form with 
P. Americana. ‘‘'The large-flowered form is the more common 
and blooms about a week or even ten days before the other, and 
usually before the leaves begin to appear. ‘The small-flowered 
form I have never found until this spring, when I came upon a 
clump of it in full bloom, and at once became interested in it be- 
cause of its decided differences from the other and common form. 
The trees were larger, more spreading, and with a much rougher 
bark than the large-flowered form; and a number of the trees 
bore flowers with a decidedly yellowish tint, which was very 
noticeable from a short distance. The fruit was late, maturing 
the middle of September, and was reddish, almost purple in very 


* The Cayuga Flora, Ithaca, N. Y. 1886, p. 27. See also Flora Chicago, 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. a 


ripe specimens, with a whitish bloom, small and rather palatable.’’ 
It is easy to place too great confidence in the seasons of bloom- 
ing and ripening, for these characters are variable. This is well 
illustrated in the case of the Late Rollingstone plum, which is a 
seedling from the Rollingstone—itself a wilding—but which is 
three weeks later in ripening than its parent. 

The fruits of wild forms of Prunus Americana vary widely in 
season, size, shape, flavor, and character of stone. ‘Trees in the 
same clump often vary two weeks in season of ripening of 
fruit, which may vary from dull deep red to yellow. It should 
be said, however, that there is no true clear yellow fruit in this 
species. The yellow of P. Americana is always a more or less ill- 
defined under color, over which are laid blotches of red. The 
fruits are more or less flattened, as is well shown in Fig. 1, usu- 
ally oblong and truncate or somewhat flattened at the ends, and 
are commonly marked with a distinct suture. All the varieties 
have a light purple bloom. 

The Texan form of P. Americana, known locally as the Hog 
plum, appears to differ somewhat from the northern forms, and 
it may be a distinct species. It has the glands, both of calyx 
and leaf-stalks, of the P. xzgra form and the rounded stones of 
true P. Americana. The plant is not in cultivation, however, 
‘and need not be further discussed here. 

Prunus Americana was founded over a century ago by Hum- 
phrey Marshall. His description, particularly of the leaves, is 
peculiarly characteristic of the wild plum of the north. It is as 
follows : 

“Prunus Americana. Large Yellow Sweet Plumb. This 
generally rises to the height of 12 or 15 feet, spreading into 
many stiff branches. The leaves are oblong, oval, acute pointed, 
sharply sawed on their edges and much veined. The flowers 
generally come out very thick round the branches, often upon 
thick short spurs; and are succeeded by large oval fruit with a 
sweet succulent pulp. We have a great variety of these, grow- 
ing naturally in a good moist soil, with reddish and yellowish 
fruit, but differing much in size, taste and consistence,,’’ 

West of the Mississippi there is a form of Prunus Americana 


8 BULLETIN 38. 


with conspiciously pubescent and often glaucous leaves and 
shoots. ‘This is the variety mollis, a plant which is commonly 
supposed to be confined to Texas and its northern borders. It 
certainly grows as far north as Iowa. ‘The varieties known as 
Wolf and Van Buren belong here. 

The following cultivated varieties belong to Prunus Ameri- 
cana : 


1. American Eagle.—Fruit and flowers unknown to me. 
Leaves rather large, the stalks glandular. Introduced in fall of 
1889 and spring of 1890 by Osceola Nursery Co., Osceola, Mis- 
Sour. C. 

2. Beaty’s Choice.—Fruit large, round-oblong, red-purple or 
red-blue, skin medium thick: flesh firm, of high quality: cling, 
the stones broad, flat and smooth, like those of Weaver ; flowers 
large, conspicuously stalked in large clusters, calyx lobes reflexed, 
glandless, smooth or nearly so on the inside. Late. Originated 
under cultivation in Southern Texas by Lee Beaty. T. V. Mun- 
son says that it appears to be a hybrid between Prunus Amert- 
cana and P. domestica. Ripens at Denison, Texas, from the first 
to the middle of August. 

3. Black Hawk.—Known to me only trom a record in Bull. 4, 
Iowa Experiment Station, by R. P. Speer (Feb., 1889), in which 
‘‘a nameless variety found in Black Hawk County, and a very 
large and beautiful free-stone plum, which was furnished by Mr. 
Slater of Story County,’’ was tested as to culinary qualities in 
comparison with Miner, Weaver, Bassett, Rollingstone, Moreman, 
Wolf, De Soto and Maquoketa. ‘‘ The decision of all who tasted 
the same was that the Maquoketa and Black Hawk plums were 
equally good and much better than any of the other kinds except 
the De Soto, which was marked good, but second in quality. The 
skins on the Maquoketa and Black Hawk plums were so thin that 
they disappeared almost entirely while being cooked.’’ I do not 
know that the variety has been introduced. Presumably P. 
Americana. 


4. Lratinerd, in cultivation in Minnesota (O. M. Lord), proba- 
bly belongs to this species. 


5. Cheney.—Fruit large to very large, round-oblong, scarcely 
flattened, dull purplish red, skin thick : flesh firm and sweet, good 
to very good: cling, the stone very flat and smooth with rather 
rounded ends ; flowers not large, the calyx lobes glandular, smooth 
inside ; leaves medium, long-pointed, leaf-stalks glandular. Early 
for the group, ripening even in Minnesota by the middle of 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 9 


August. One of the best varieties. Found in Morman Ravine, 
a few miles below La Crosse, Wisconsin, and introduced by E. 
Markley, La Crosse. C. 

6. Chippeway.—Fruit small to medium, oblong, deep red, the 
skin medium thick: flesh firm and sweet: stone free, small, 
strongly convex on the sides and pointed, roughish ; leaves medi- 
um, rather strongly pubescent beneath, leaf-stalks glandular. 
Has gained no prominence so far as I know. 

7.  Cottrell—Fruit large, round-oblong, red, skin thin: flesh 
rich and agreeable: cling; leaves large, comparatively thin and 
smooth, leaf-stalks glandular. Medium season. Seedling raised 
by R. L. Cottrell, Dover, Olmsted Co., Minn., and introduced in 
1888 by O. M. Lord of Minnesota City. 

8. Deep Creek.—Medium size, round-oblong and prominently 
flattened and bearing a conspicuous suture, dull purple-red, very 
glaucous, skin thick : flesh firm, and very sweet and good: stone 
free, sides convex, long-pointed, roughish ; flowers rather small, 
short-stalked, the calyx lobes glandless and hairy inside; leaves 
medium, nearly smooth, stalks glandular. Medium season. A 
Kansas wild variety, introduced by Abner Allen. C. 

9. De Soto.—lLarge to very large, round-oblong, purple-red 
with moderate bloom, skin thick : flesh medium firm, good : stone 
cling, rather large, somewhat convex, rounded at the® ends, 
slightly roughened ; leaves medium, stalks glandular. Medium 
to late. One of the most popular varieties. Found wild on the 
Mississippi at De Soto, Wisconsin. Generally introduced by 
Elisha Hale, Lansing, Iowa, 1863 or 1864. Figured by Professor 
See iateen inbitlly 5, Minn. Hxp. Sta, See’. No. 3,,above.. °C. 


10. Forest Garden.—Large,round, orange overlaid with rose-pur- 
ple, skin medium thick to thin: flesh medium firm to soft, good : 
stone cling, convex on the sides, rounded at the ends, slightly 
roughened ; leaves medium, rather smooth, glands none or re- 
duced to a single small one. Medium season, ripening in Minnesota 
the middle of September. A good sort for home use, but does 
not ship well unless picked before ripe. Tree grows forked and 
is apt to split. Said not to succeed well east of Illinois. Taken 
from the woods at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, by Thomas Hare, and in- 
troduced by H. C. Raymond, of the Forest Garden nurseries, 
Council Bluffs, about 1862. Figuredin Bull. 5, Minn. Exp. Sta., 
by Prof. S. B. Green: 

11. Gaylord.—Fruit large, round-oblong and slightly flattened, _ 
deeply mottled red over a ground of orange,skin rather thick: flesh 
pulpy and sweet: stone moderate cling, broad and rather flat, 


10 BULLETIN 38. 


pointed, sharp-edged on the back, somewhat roughened ; leaves 
rather broad, somewhat pubescent below, glandular.- Medium 
season. Introduced recently by Edson Gaylord, Nora Springs, 
Iowa. 


12. Harrison's Peach.—Medium size, round-oblong, dull red, 
skin thick : stone free; leaves medium, rather thick and pubes- 
cent, the glands large. Medium season. Not widely dissemi- 
nated apparently. Minnesota, a wild variety. C. 

13. Hawkeye.—lLarge to very large, round-oblong, purple- 
red, skin thick: flesh firm and good: stonecling ; leaves medium 
firm, very smooth for the species, stalks glandular. Medium 
season. Originated in Iowa under cultivation. Introduced by 
H. A. Terry, Crescent City, Iowa, 1878. Specimens from the 
Michigan Agricultural College evidently belong to Prunus an- 
gustifolia, the Chickasaw type. C. 


14. /da.—I know this only from a description submitted by D. 
B. Wier, the originator: ‘‘ Medium size, round, yellow nearly 
covered with dull red: flesh firm, salmon-color, very sweet: free- 
stone ; leaves very downy and leathery ; tree thorny, exceedingly 
sprawling. The fruit is acid when cooked, but dries sweet. ”’ 
Said by Mr. Wier to be pure P. Americana. [llinois. 


15.° Lilinots Ironclad.— Fruit very large, oblong, dark red, 
thick skin: flesh firm: cling ; leaves medium, pubescent, glands 
small or absent. Medium season. Said to be one of the best 
native plums. Wild variety from Illinois, introduced in 1890 by 
Stark Bros., Louisiana, Mo. C. 


16. /ona.—Known to me only from description of the origina- 
tor, D. B. Wier: ‘‘Fruit large, oblong, dull yellow with red 
cheek, skin medium thick: flesh firm, yellow and sweet: stone 
free, long and much flattened, with a sharp border on the back ; 
leaves very large ; tree strong and upright, the growth smooth. 
Medium season.’’ Said by Mr. Wier to be pure P. Americana, 
the seed coming from a wild bush in southwestern Wisconsin. 

17. Jtaska.— Fruit medium, oblong; dull purple-red, skin 
thick: flesh firm, of fair quality: cling; flowers small and ses- 
sile, pinkish, the calyx lobes somewhat glandular, and smooth 
within ; leaves thick and broad, stalks either glandular or gland- 
less ; tree a very short, stocky and thick grower, the short joints 
giving the pinkish bloom a strikingly massed effect. Medium 
season. One of the most distinct in habit. Minnesota. Intro- 
* duced by P. M. Gideon, Excelsior, Minn., and by W. F. Heikes. 


18. Kzickapoo.—Medium, round-oblong, blotched red, thick 
skin: flesh firm : stone cling, convex on the sides, long, roughish 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. I! 


flowers small and sessile or nearly so, calyx lobes minutely glan- 
dular and smooth or nearly so within; leaves rather small, nar- 
row, long-pointed, very sharply toothed, pubescent below, gland- 
less or occasionally a leaf with small glands; tree a straggling 
grower, very prolific. Medium season. Appears to be much 
attacked by shot-hole fungus. 


19. Kopp, introduced by O. M. Lord, Minnesota, is probably 
P. Americana. 


20. Late Rollingstone.—Very like Rollingstone (No. 35) of 
which it is a seedling, but three weeks later, pulp not so firm, 
and skin thicker. O. M. Lord, Minnesota. 


21. Le Duc.—Medium, round and flattened, orange spotted 
with red, skin thin: flesh pulpy and sweet: a moderate cling, 
the stone rather broad with convex sides, rounded at the ends, 
slightly roughened. ° Medium season. A wild variety from Has- 
tings, Minn., introduced by W. G. Le Duc. C. 


22. Little Seedling.—A small red plum with small convex 
roughish cherry-like stones, and narrow, rather finely serrate 
leaves, and glands very small or none. Charles Luedloff, 
Carver, Minn. | 

23. Louisa.—lLarge to very large, round, deep red, skin thick : 
flesh firm and good: semi-cling, the stone broad and convex and 
smoother than is usual for this shape; leaves medium, long- 
pointed, pubescent below, glands small or none. Medium season. 
A wild plum found in Missouri and introduced by Samuel Miller, 
Bluffton, Mo. ‘‘ Very similar to Weaver.’’—7Z7. V. Munson. 
Flowers upon Maryland specimens are small and nearly sessile, 
with glandless calyx ; from Texas they are large and stalked, 
with calyx lobes reflexed and glandular, and hairy within. 


24. Luedloffs Green.—Medium to small, oblong and flattened, 
deep mottled red, skin thick: flesh firm, sweet and good: nearly 
free, the stone small, convex, pointed, rough; leaves rather small 
and smooth, glands very small or none. Charles Luedloff, 
Minn. 

25. Luedloffs Red.—Much like the last, but lighter red, skin 
thicker, pit freer, stone rather broader and leaves pubescent 
beneath. 

26. Maquoketa (Fig. 11).—Medium to nearly large, round- 
oblong, red, skin thick: cling, the stone very convex, short- 
pointed, rough; leaves medium, rather smooth, glands none or 
small. Medium to late. Originated in Iowa under cultivation. 
mee No. 3. 


12 BULLETIN 328. 


27. Minnetonka.—Medium in size, round-oblong, dull red, 
skin thick: cling; flowers medium, calyx lobes glandless, hairy 
inside ; leaves medium, pubescent, glandless or nearly so. Me- 
dium season. Introduced by P. M. Gideon, Minn. 


28. Mussey.—Very large, round-oblong, yellow mottled with 
red, skin medium thick: flesh firm and excellent : semi-cling ; 
leaves medium to large, pubescent, glands small or none. Very 
late. Wild, from Kansas. Introduced by Abner Allen. 


29. Newtown Egg.—Medium to rather large, oblong, red, 
skin thick: flesh firm: free, the stone long and rather flat, 
scarcely pointed, nearly or quite smooth ; leaves medium, nearly 
smooth, glands none or small. Medium season. Charles Lued- 
loff, Minn. 


30. New Ulm.—‘' Very large, round-oblong, dark red, skin 
medium: flesh firm and of best quality: cling. Medium to 
early A Minnesota seedling introduced by C. W. Heideman, 
New Ulm, Minn.’’—Professor S. B. Green, Minn. Exp. Sia. 
Presumably P. Americana. 


31. Ocheeda.—‘‘ Large, round, yellow and red, skin thin: 
flesh firm and of best quality: semi-cling. Medium season. 
Wild variety from Minnesota. Introduced by H. J. Ludlow, 
Worthington, Minn.’’—/vofessor S. B. Green, Minn, Exp. Sta. 
Presumably P. Americana. 


32. Leffer's Premtum.—Medium to nearly large, round, red, 
skin thick: flesh firm and good: cling, the stone nearly circular 
and flat, rather smooth; leaves medium with rather obtuse ser- 
ratures, nearly smooth, stalks glandular. Medium season. Wis- 
consin seedling. Introduced by George P. Peffer, Pewaukee, 
Wis 

33. Purple Yosemite.—Very large, round, red-purple, skin 
thick : flesh firm: cling, stone large and flat, blunt at the ends 
and on the margins, nearly or quite smooth; flowers medium, 
short-stalked, the calyx lobes glandless and hairy within ; leaves 
medium, comparatively smooth, stalks glandless or glands small. 
Medium season. An excellent plum in many places. C. M. 
Stark writes me that it has no value in Missouri. C. 


34.  Ouaker.—Very large (1% in. long), round-oblong and 
somewhat flattened, purple-red inclining to orange-red on side 
opposite the sun, very glaucous-blue, skin very thick and acerb: 
flesh very firm, sweet and juicy : moderate cling, the stone large 
and flat, prominently ridged and winged on the back, ends rather 
blunt, slightly pitted; flowers rather large, stalked, the calyx 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 13 


lobes large and becoming reflexed, hairy inside but scarcely if at 
all glandular ; leaves rather large and firm, pubescent, the glands 
small or sometimes wanting. Medium season. One of the best 
varieties. Must have the best cultivation and not be allowed to 
overbear. Discovered wild by Joseph Bundy, of Springville, 
Linn Co., Iowa. Disseminated about 1862 by H. C. Raymond, 
Council Bluffs, and by him named Quaker in compliment to Mr. 
Bundy, whois a quaker. C. 

35. Rollingstone.—Very large (often 1% in. each diameter), 
round, flattened and truncate at the ends, mottled and spotted 
pink-purple, skin very thick: flesh firm, sweet and excellent: 
semi-cling, stone nearly circular, rather flat, sharp on the back 
edge, nearly smooth ; flowers large, long-stalked, the calyx lobes 
large and rarely somewhat glandular, hairy on the inside; leaves 
large and firm, comparatively smooth, stalks either glandular or 
glandless. Medium season, coming in just before De Soto. One 
of the leading varieties. Found over 30 years ago on the bank of 
the Rollingstone Creek, Winona Co., Minn., by O. M. Lord, and 
by him introduced’some ten years ago. Professor L. H. Pammel, 
of the Iowa Agricultural College, writes me that this variety is 
reported as the common plum along creeks at Dysart, Iowa. C. 


Mr. Lord has raised many pure seedlings of the Rollingstone, 
of which the Late Rollingstone (see No. 20) is one. ‘‘Sev- 
eral years ago,’’ he writes, ‘‘I cut out of my grounds all varieties 
of native plums except the Rollingstone. The object was to per- 
petuate the tree by seeds true to name by preventing all crossing. 
Some of the seedlings cannot be distinguished by their foliage or 
flowers, but none of them bear as good fruit as the parent. Some 
are later and some earlier.’ ‘The variety is figured by Professor 
S. B. Green in Bull. ro, Minn. Exp. Sta. 


36. Speer.—Medium, oblong, mottled orange and red, erin 
medium : flesh firm and sweet: semi-cling, stone broad, convex, 
ends blunt, slightly roughened ; leaves medium, nearly smooth, 
stalks glandular. Iowa seedling by J. A. Speer. 

37. Van Buren (Prunus Americana var. mollis).—lWarge, 
round-oblong, purple-red, skin thick : free ; leaves medium, dense- 
ly white pubescent beneath and on the stalks, as well as the young 
growth, stalks glandular. Medium season. The pubescence is 
most marked on young shoots. An Iowa wild variety, intro- 
duced by J. Thatcher. 

38. Wazata.—Medium or even small, round, dull red, thick 
skin : cling ; leaves medium, pubescent beneath, the elands small 


14 BULLETIN 38. 


or none. Medium to late. C. M. Stark writes that it has no 
value in Missouri. Wild Minnesota variety, introduced by Peter 

M. Gideon and W. F. Heikes. 

- 39. Weaver (Fig. 1).—Large, round-oblong and flattened, 
suture prominent, orange densely overlaid with mottled red, skin 
thick : flesh firm, sweet and good : semi-cling, the stone large and 
flat, obscurely pointed, the wing or margin conspicuous, smooth ; 
flowers large and prominently stalked, the calyx lobes usually 
conspicuously glandular and obscurely hairy inside ; leaves large 
and firm, deeply toothed, slightly pubescent beneath, the glands 
rarely prominent and frequently entirely wanting ; tree a strong 
free grower and prolific. Medium to late, ripening in Minnesota 
the last of September. A well marked variety, and one of the 
best. A wild variety, found near Palo, Iowa, by Mr. Weaver ; 
introduced by Ennis & Patten in 1875. Ripens in Northern 
Texas from the first to middle of August. O.M. Lord writes me 
that ‘‘the Weaver@is wild in profusion on the St. Peter or Min- 
nesota River.’’ Figured by Professor S. B. Green in Bull. 5, 
Ninn Exp. Stay. OC. 

40. Wiers Large Red.—‘‘ A round plum as large as Wild 
Goose and better in quality, excellent for cooking; ripening last 
half of September.’’—2. O. Curtis, Parts, ll. Leaves medium, 
firm, smooth or very nearly so, the stalk glandular. D. B. Wier, 
Ilinois. 

41. Wild Rose.—‘‘ Large, round, yel- 
low-blush, skin medium : flesh firm : cling. 
Early. A Minnesota wild variety, not 
propagated for sale, but deserving to be.’’ 
— Szas. Introduced in 1880 by A. W. Sias. 
Presumably P. Americana. 

42. Wolf (Prunus Americana var. mol- 
fis). Fig. 2.—WLarge, round, yellow 
blotched with red, skin thick: flesh firm, 
meaty and good: perfectly free, the stone 
circular in outline with a tendency to 
taper towards the apex, rather flat, the 
wing or border pronounced, smooth ; flow- 
ers medium, short-stalked, the calyx lobes 
glandular and hairy inside; leaves broad 
and thick, the blades and stalks, as 
well as the young shoots, prominently 
pubescent and often glaucous, especially on 
the young growth, the leaf stalks bearing q 
no glands, or only small ones ; treea stout, Fic. 2.—Wolf. 


Fic. 1.—Weaver. Foliage and flowers one-half natural size. Fruits and 
stones full size. 


16 BULLETIN 38. 


good grower, prolific. Medium season. One of the best, both 
for home use and market. The illustration shows a medium 
sized specimen. Often known as Wolf Free. Originated on 
the farm of D. B. Wolf, Wapello County, Iowa, nearly 40 
years ago, from pits said to have been taken from wild trees 
in the woods. C. 


43. Wyant.—lLarge, round-oblong, purple-red, skin thick : 
flesh firm: free; leaves medium, slightly pubescent, the glands 
small. Found wild in Northern Iowa by Mr. Wyant ; introduced 
by Professor J. L. Budd. C. 


44. Yellow Sweet.—Medium, round-oblong and flattened, 
ground color orange mottled and splashed with pink-purple : skin 
thin: free, the stone nearly circular, rather flat and somewhat 
sharp on the back, rough. Minnesota? C. 


45. Yellow Yosemtte.—I am not acquainted with the fruit of 
this variety, but I am told by reliable growers that it is identical 
with Purple Yosemite. 


The Americana group succeeds best, on the whole, in the 
northern states of the Mississippi valley, and it is the only one 
which is able to withstand the climates of the northernmost limits 
of the native plum belt, as Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. 
There are some varieties, however, which succeed so far south as 
Texas. Inthe Atlantic States the varieties are not grown far 
south. At Mr. Kerr’s place, on the Chesapeake peninsula, the 
varieties are likely to be unproductive, or short lived, and are 
much injured by a mysterious blight; yet there are some kinds 
which grow well with him, among which I recall Wolf, Purple 
Yosemite and Kickapoo. The greatest profitable range of the 
group, however, is confined somewhat closely to the two or three 
northernmost tiers of States. The varieties which are most highly 
prized are Cheney, Deep Creek, De Soto, Forest Garden, Itaska, 
Louisa, Purple Yosemite, Quaker, Rollingstone, Weaver and 
Wolf. 


B. THE WILD GOOSE GRouP.—(Prunus hortulana, I. Hi. 
Bailey, Garden and Forest, v. 90, [1892]). This, perhaps the 
most important group of native plums, includes varieties charac- 
terized by strong wide-spreading growth and mostly smooth twigs, 
a firm, juicy, bright-colored, thin-skinned fruit which is never 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. ee, 


flattened, a clinging turgid comparatively small rough stone 
which is sometimes prolonged at the ends but is never conspicu- 
ously wing-margined, and by comparatively thin and firm shin- 
ing, smooth, flat, more or less peach-like, ovate-lanceolate or ovate 
long-pointed leaves which are mostly closely and _ obtusely 
glandular-serrate and the stalks of which are usually glandular. 
Prunus hortulana in the wild state appears to follow the Missis- 
sippi river from northern Illinois to Arkansas, in its middle region 
ranging so far east as eastern Kentucky and Tennessee and possibly 
to Maryland, and in the southwest spreading over Texas. 

This species does not appear to have been recognized by writers 
upon the genus, although pomologists have long regarded the 
varieties of it as distinct from P. Americana. As it has come 
into prominent notice through the labors of horticulturists, I take 
pleasure in recording the fact in the name hortulana. ‘The varie- 
ties are intermediate between the Americana and Chickasaw | 
groups, while the Miner group, which I refer. provisionally to this 
species, is anomalous in its characters. The fruits lack entirely 
the dull-colored, compressed; thick-skinned and meaty characters 
of the Americanas, and approach very closely to the Chickasaws. 
They are usually covered with a thin bloom and are more or less 
marked by small spots. They are variable in period of ripening, 
there being a difference of no less than two months between the 
seasons of some of the cultivated varieties. In color they range 
from the most vivid crimson to pure golden yellow. The botani- 
cal features of the species are not yet well determined, and it is 
not impossible that more than one species is confounded in it. 
Some of the gross features of the species are well illustrated in 
Bigy 4, 

In this group B, as I have here constituted it, there are two 
more or less clearly marked types, but which I am not yet able to 
separate by positive botanical characters. One type is character- 
ized by thin and very smooth peach-like leaves which are very 
finely and evenly serrate. It comprises Cumberland, Indian 
Chief, Roulette, and Wild Goose. The other form or type is 
characterized by thicker, duller and more veiny leaves which are 
more coarsely and more or less irregularly serrate. This includes 


18 BULLETIN 38. 


Golden Beauty, Kanawha, Moreman, Reed, Sucker State, World 
Beater and Wayland. It forms a transition to the Miner group (C). 


46. Clark.—A variety which I know only from the growing 
tree. Leaves elliptic-ovate, rounded at the base and compara- 
tively short pointed, finely serrate, the stalks 2-glandular. Recent- 
ly introduced and said to have been found wild in Anne Arundel 
Co., Maryland. If itis really indigenous there,it greatly extends 
the range of the species. C. 


47. Cumberland.—Fruit medium, oblong, yellow, skin thin: 
stone rather short, rounded at the base but somewhat pointed at 
the apex ; flowers medium, short-stalked, the calyx lobes glandu- 
lar ; leaves ovate, rounded at the base, long-pointed, finely ser- 
rate, the stalks bearing two to several glands. Medium to late. 
Said to have originated in Georgia, under cultivation. Introduced 
by Philip Schley. C. 


48. Garfield.—F¥ruit medium, round-oblong, dark red, skin 
thick : stone slender (twice as long as broad), prolonged at both 
ends ; flowers medium, stalked, the calyx lobes conspicuously 
glandular ; leaves large to very large, ovate-lanceolate, rounded 
at the base, rather finely serrate, the stalks usually furnished 
with a string of glands; tree a strong spreading grower. Late. 
C. M. Stark writes that it is unproductive in Missouri. Said to — 
have been found wild in Ohio. Introduced in 1887 by the late 
Leo Welz, Wilmington, O. C. 


49. Golden Beauty (Fig. 12; also illustration on title-page). 
—Fruit medium, round-ovate, deep clear yellow, skin medium 
thick: flesh very firm and of excellent quality: semi-cling, 
the stone small and broad (only one-fourth larger than broad), 
the point very short; flowers large, prominently stalked, the 
calyx lobes glandular; leaves narrowly ovate-lanceolate and 
very peach-like, rather tapering at the base, thick and dull 
and somewhat pubescent below, coarsely serrate, the stalk with 
very small glands. Late; blooms very late. One of the best. 
A wild south Texan variety, introduced by George Onder- 
donk in 1874. 


Floney Drop.—See Missouri Apricot, below. 


50. Indian Chief.—Large, round, dull red, skin medium thick : 
flesh firm: cling, the stone very broad and scarcely prolonged 
into a point, very rough; flowers medium, short-stalked, the 
calyx lobes glandular ; leaves short, broadly elliptic-ovate, com- 
paratively short-pointed, finely serrate, the short stalks glandular. 
Early. Recalls the Chickasaws. Origin uncertain: said by 
Munson to have originated in southern Texas, and by Onderdonk 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 19 


to have come from Georgia; others say that it came from 
Arkansas. C. 


51. Kanawha.—Fruit medium to large, round, red, skin medi- 
um thick: cling; leaves large and broad with long points, rather 
thick and dull, the edges irregular with rounded teeth and notch- 
es, with several glands on thestalks. Late. Georgia? ‘‘ Simi- 
lar to Wayland.’’—//7unson. ‘‘Almost like Reed. Excellent for 
spicing. An enormous bearer.’’—Zerckmans. C. 


52. Missouri Apricot (Honey Drop).—Medium to rather large, 
round, deep yellow, skin medium: semi-cling, the stone rather 
short and turgid, produced abruptly into short points; flowers 
medium, short-stalked ; leaves medium in size with conspicuous 
points and with rather large serrations, light-colored, the whitish 
stalks bearing very small glands or sometimes even glandless. 
Late. Perhaps the best yellow plum. Quality high. Found 
wild in Missouri and introduced by Stark Bros. in 1886. ‘‘ Every 
way an improvement on Golden Beauty.’’—C. AZ. Stark. C. 


53. Zoreman.—Medium in size, round, dark red, skin medi- 
um thick: cling, the stone small and nearly circular, the points 
very short; leaves medium, long-pointed, rather coarsely serrate, 
rather dull in texture, the stalks nearly or quite glandless. Late. 
A strong spreading grower, producing abundantly of handsome 
and high quality fruit. It suggests the Miner group and may be- 
long to it. Originatedin Kentucky. Introduced by W. F. Heikes 
in 1881. ‘‘Cooks well. As good as a Damson when spiced.’’— 
meer nO: | 

54. Poole (Poole’s Pride).—Uarge, round-oblong, red, skin 
medium thick: cling ; leaves,rather small and narrow, very finely 
serrate, the short stalks glandless or nearly so. Early to medium, 
of high quality. Succeeds Wild Goose. A wild variety from 
Illinois, introduced in 1888 by Stark Bros. I am not well ac- 
quainted with this variety. It looks much like a Chickasaw. 


55. Reed.—Medium, round, dark red, skin medium : cling, the 
stone short and turgid, pitted, the point abrupt and short; flow- 
ers medium, short-stalked ; leaves very broad (elliptic-ovate or 
even nearly round-ovate) and large, firm, the point abrupt and 
conspicuous, unevenly serrate, the stalks bearing few small 
glands. Late. A very strong spreading grower. Much like . 
Moreman in fruit. Said to have been introduced by the late Mr. 
Reed, Hightstown, N. J. C. 

56. Roulette.—Medium to rather large, round or round-oblong, 
red and coloring completely before dropping from the tree, skin 
thin: cling, stone (like Wild Goose) oblong-obovate and rather 


20 BULLETIN 38. 


slender, scarcely pointed above ; flowers medium on rather conspic- 
uous stalks; leaves the shape and size of peach leaves and like 
those of Wild Goose, the serratures small and even, the stalks 
glandular. Early to medium. Texan? ‘The Mexican Roulette 
is evidently the same. C. 


57. Sucker State.—Large, round, dull red, skin thick: cling ; 
flowers large, stalked ; leaves medium to large, long taper-pointed, 
irregularly and obtusely but rather finely (for the size of the leaf) 
toothed, stalks glandular. Medium to late. Illinois? C. 


58. Zexas Bell (or Belle ?).—Fruit medium to large, nearly 

spherical, red: stone short and turgid, obtuse below and very 
short-pointed above; leaves medium, elliptic-oblong and short- 
pointed, finely and evenly serrate, the stalks glandular. Ripens 
last of June in Texas. Originated by Stephen H. Turner, Texas, 
and introduced by J. IT. Whitaker, Tyler, Texas. Perhaps a 
Chickasaw. 
. 59. Wayland.—Fruit large, round-oblong, shining pink-red, skin 
medium : semi-cling, the stone rather small for the size of the 
fruit, turgid and slightly pitted, very short-pointed at both ends ; 
flowers large and long-stalked, very late ; leaves medium to large, 
rather thick and heavy, long-pointed, the edges irregularly ser- 
rate and notched, the stalks usually glandular. Very late. One 
of the best native plums, but too late for the northern states. 
Introduced by Downer & Bro., Fairview, Ky. First propagated 
in 1876. Itcame upinasmall plum thicket in a corner of the 
garden of Professor H. B. Wayland, Cadiz, Ky. C. 


60. Whitaker.—Very large, red; leaves medium, oblong- 
ovate, points rather short, very finely and evenly serrate, the 
stalks with small glands or none. Originated under cultivation 
in eastern Texas by J. T. Whitaker. Seedling of Wild Goose. C. 


61. Wild Goose (Fig. 3.)—Large, round-oblong, light red, skin 
thin : cling, stone long and narrow, prolonged above into a sharp 
point and below into a narrow base, finely pitted ; flowers medium 
to large, stalked ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, peach-like, not prom- 
inently pointed, the margins finely and evenly serrate, and the 
stalks usually bearing two to four small glands. Early. Quality 
poor, but on account of its productiveness, earliness, beauty, good 
shipping qualities, and its early introduction, it is the most popu- 
lar of the native plums. The Wild Goose was first brought to 
notice by James Harvey of Columbia, Tenn. Some time before 
1850 a man shot a wild goose near Columbia, and on the spot 
where the carcass was thrown this plum came up the following 
spring. It was introduced about 1850 by the late J. S. Downer, 


Fi) E 
=A, || <y 


br 


aoe Te 
A a 4) 
“Qua 2 


i 


Fic. 3.—Wild Goose. Sprays half size. Stones full size. 


22 BULLETIN 38, 


of Fairview, Ky. This is the first native plum introduced to gen- 
eral cultivation, although the Miner was first known and 
named. C. 

The Wild Goose is either very variable or there are two 
varieties passing under that name. In the orchards of Mr. 
Kerr, in Maryland, and Mr. Munson, in Texas, the flowers ap- 
pear before the leaves in crowded lateral clusters, but in the planta- 
tions at the Michigan Agricultural College and at Cornell, they 
appear with the leavesin diffuse cherry-like clusters, and the 
pedicels are longer. These latter specimens are so anomalous as. 
-to lead good observers to wonder if they are not hybrids with 
some cherry. I have not been able to observe any constant dif- 
ferences between these two types in foliage or fruit. I am dis- 
posed to regard these peculiarities as variations of one variety due 
to.climate or some other local cause, for I find the same differ- 
ences in other varieties grown here and in the south, as in New- 
man, Robinson and Marianna (Nos. 83, 86 and 92). I have ex- 
amined a number of seedlings of Wild Goose at Mr. Kerr’s, and 
while they differ from the parent in flavor and shape of fruit, they 
are much like it in general texture and character of fruit, the 
stones are singularly alike and the habits of the trees are similar ; 
but in some of them the leaves tend to be irregularly toothed at 
the margins after the manner of the Wayland class. It should be 
said that the tree from which these seedlings were grown stood 
beside a tree of German Prune, but it is not known if these plants 
will hybridize. 

The range of adaptability of the Wild Goose is great. It is 
hardy in central New York, and southern Michigan, and it suc- 
ceeds well in Georgia and Texas. The tree resembles a peach 
tree. 


62. World Beater.—\Large, round-oblong, dark red, skin medi- 
um: cling; leaves medium and long-pointed, rather dull, some- 
what irregularly serrate, the stalks usually glandular. Very 
late. Of good quality. Found wild in Tennessee. Introduced 
by Stark Bros. in 1889. 


The Wild Goose type or group of plums, as a whole, appears 
to be best suited to the middle latitudes, being grown with satis- 
faction from Illinois and Indiana, and the southern part of Michi- 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 2a 


gan and New York to Maryland, Virginia and Tennessee, and in 
the southwest to Texas. The varieties which are most highly 
prized are Golden Beauty, Indian Chief, Missouri Apricot, More- 
man, Wayland and Wild Goose. 

C. THE MINER GRovuP.—(Prunus hortulana var. Mineri). 
This group includes a few anomalous varieties which appear to 
be intermediate between Prunus hortulana and P. Americana. 
They may be an off-shoot of P. hortiulana, or it is possible that they 
constitute a distinct species. The Mineris particularly well marked, 
but there are others which it issomewhat difficult to separate from 
P. hortulana. ‘The group differs from the species by the dull and 
comparatively thick leaves which are conspicuously veiny below 
and irregularly coarsely toothed and more or less obovate in out- 
line, by a late very firm fruit and by a more or less smooth and 
Americana-like stone. Fig. 4 is an excellent illustration of the 
under surface of a leaf of this group, and Fig. 5 shows the gener- 
al habit. I am not able to designate the range of the wild plant, 
but it appears to occur in Illinois (and perhaps Indiana), Mis- 
souri, Tennessee, and perhaps in Arkansas. 


63. Clinton (Fig. 4).—Fruit large, round, dull red, skin medi- 
um thick : cling, the stone short and broad and scarcely pointed, 


nearly smooth ; flowers 
medium ; leaves (see 
cut) elliptic to elliptic- 
obovate, rather prom- 
: inently pointed, the 
Fic. 4.—Leaf of Clinton, full size. stalks glandular. Mid- 
season, ripening several days before Miner. Thought by some to 
be the same as Miner, but the leaves, at least, appear to be 


different. 
64. Forest Rose.—Warge to very large, round, dull red, skin 


medium thick: stone cling, broad and comparatively flat, sharp 
on the front edge, scarcely pointed, smooth, Americana-like ; 


24 BULLETIN 38. 


flowers medium to large ; leaves elliptic to elliptic-obovate, prom- 
inently pointed, the stalks ordinarily bearing two small glands. 
Medium to late, of good quality. A Missouri wild variety, intro- 
duced by William Stark in 1878. C. 


65. J/dol.—Medium to rather large, round, bright light crim- 
son splashed with magenta, skin thin: stone small, cling ; leaves 
obovate, the stalks glandular. Medium season. Said by D. B. 
Wier, the originator, to be very large, weighing as much as the 
average Lombard, but B. O. Curtis, Paris, Illinois, who now 
handles some of Wier’s varieties, says that with him it is rather 
small and ripens the last of September and first of October. Said 
by Mr. Wier to be a cross between Miner and Wild Goose. 
Illinois. 


66. Jlndiana Red.—Varge, round, red : cling; flowers medium ; 
leaves elliptic-ovate, prominently pointed, coarsely toothed, the 
stalks mostly prominently glandular. Medium to late. Said to 
have been an Indiana wild variety and to have been introduced 
by. Dr. I. Cramer. By some thought to be the same as Miner. C. 


67. /ris.—A medium red plum, with rather small and turgid 
stones which are scarcely pointed, and smooth or nearly so; 
flowers medium ; leaves elliptic or elliptic-obovate, long-pointed, 
the stalks glandular. Illinois. D. B. Wier, originator and intro- 
acer PEC. 


68. Langsdon (Fig. 5).—Medium, round or round-oblong, 
light-red: stone cling, small and nearly smooth, turgid, very 
short-pointed ; leaves obovate or elliptic-obovate, moderately 
pointed, the glands small. Medium to late. Much like Miner. 


69. Leptune.—Medium, round, dark-red, skin thick: cling, 
stone rather small and turgid, nearly smooth, short-pointed ; 
leaves elliptic ovate to elliptic-obovate, very long-pointed and 
coarsely serrate, stalks either glandless or glandular. Late. Said 
to have been introduced by J. D. Morrow & Sons, Arkansas. 


70. Miner.—ULarge, round or roundish-oblong, dull red, skin 
thick : stone cling, short and broad, smooth or very nearly so, 
very short-pointed, rather sharp on the front edge, Americana- 
like ; flowers medium to large; leaves large and heavy, usually 
inclined to be obovate, rather long-pointed, the stalks glandular. | 
Medium to late. Said by Downing* to have originated with Mr. 
Miner, Lancaster Co., Penn., but this is a mistake. The seed 
which produced the Miner plum was planted in 1814, in Knox 
County, Tennessee, by William Dodd, an officer under General 
Jackson. Dodd appears to have had two batches of seed, one 


* Fruits and Fruit Trees, 2nd ed. 931. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 25 


Fic. 5.—Langsdon. 3 full size. 
(fruits tmmature.) 


lot this plum sprung. The plum gained some notice when it 
came into bearing, and was known as Old Hickory and General 
Jackson. In 1823 or 1824 Dodd moved to Illinois and settled 
near Springfield, taking some sprouts of his plum with him. 
The plums soon attracted attention among Dodd’s neighbors, and 
the variety was called in its new home William Dodd and Chicka- 
saw Chief. The year following William Dodd’s removal to 
Illinois, his brother moved to Galena, Illinois, and took some of 
the plums. About Galena the plum became known as the Hinck- 
ley. I donot know how the name Miner came to be applied to 
it, but Downing’s reference to Mr. Miner of Pennsylvania—who 
probably grew and disseminated it—undoubtedly explainsit. Itis 
said by D. B. Wier that the late Hon. James G. Soulard, of Ga- 
which he gathered the year before upon Talaposa creek, and the 
other given him by an Indian chief. It is not clear from which 


26 BULLETIN 38. 


lena, introduced this plum to general cultivation, and I repeated 
this statement last year in a discussion of the Soulard crab.* 
(For a fuller history of the Miner, see A. Giddings in Iowa Agr. 
Rep. 1871, 332.) Downing gives Hinckley, Isabel, Gillett, 
Townsend and Robinson as synonyms of Miner. ‘The Robinson 
now known is a very different fruit. (See No. 86.) The Miner 
is one of the best and most popular of the native plums, and is 
probably grown farther north with success than any other variety 
of this species (Groups Band C). In central New York it ripens 
in October. Colored plate in Agriculture of Pennsylvania, 
PSST oC. 


Parsons.—Supposed to be identical with Miner, which see. C. 

71. Prairie Flower.—A variety introduced by Stark Bros., 
Missouri ; probably belongs in this group. 

72. &achel.—Medium, round-oblong, dull red, thick skin: 
stone cling, short and broad, thin-margined on the front edge, 
scarcely pointed, smooth, Americana-like ; leaves long, elliptic- 
obovate, moderately pointed, stalks glandular. Medium to 
ate Cs 

The Miner group appears to be a strong and hardy race which 
is particularly adapted to the northern limits of the cultivation of 
the Hortulana family. The varieties are much alike. The Miner 
is the most popular member of the group, and it succeeds even in 
northern Illinois. In New York the varieties ripen from late 
September even to late October.. 


D. THE CHICKASAW GRouP.—(Prunus angustifolia, Marshall, 
Arbustrum Americanum, 111. [1785]. [Prunus Chickasa, Michx. 
Flor. Bor.-Am. i. 284.]). This group of plums differs from 
the Wild Goose group (B) by a more slender, spreading and zig- 
zag growth, usually smaller size of tree, red twigs, by smaller, 
lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate very closely serrate shining leaves. 
which are conduplicate or trough-like in habit, by early small 
flowers which, upon old wood, are densely clustered on the spurs,. 
and by an early red (rarely yellow) and more or less spotted 
translucent fruit, the flesh of which is soft, juicy, and more or 
less stringy and very tightly adherent to the small, broad, rough- 
ish stone. It is difficult to separate some of the cultivated forms 
of this species from small-leaved and weak-growing varieties of 


* Amer. Garden, xii. 473. 


PESO 


wn 


iN 


eats 


Fic. 6.—Newman. Sprays half size. Leaf and stones Sull size. 


28 BULLETIN 38. 


Prunus hortulana, but the two species are easily separated in a 
wild state. The zigzag young twigs and trough-like leaves ot 
the Chickasaws are characteristic, and are shownin Fig. 6. The 
leaves are often very small, scarcely exceeding an inch in length, 
but upon the more vigorous cultivated varieties, as the Newman, 
the leaf-blades are often three inches long and nearly flat. In 
herbarium specimens the species is usually recognized by the two 
halves of the leaves being pressed together so that the upper sur- 
face is hidden. In a wild state the trees or bushes are thorny, 
and the thorns persist in some of the cultivated varieties. It 
grows wild, often in dense thickets, from southern Delaware to 
Florida, and westward to Kansas and Texas. It is commonly 
stated in the books that the Chickasaw plum is not native to the 
Atlantic states, and some suppose that it was introduced into the 
United States from countries to the south of us. I have been un- 
able to find sufficient reasons for these opinions, and I believe 
that the species is native to the southeastern states. In Mary- 
land, as I have seen it, it behaves like an indigenous plant, and 
the people regard it as a true native. The small acerb fruit of 
the thorny and scraggly wild bushes is known in Maryland as 
‘* Mountain Cherry.”’ 

This species, like Prunus Americana, was founded by Hum- 
phrey Marshall in 1785. His description is as follows: ‘* Prunus 
angustifolia. Chicasaw Plumb. This is scarcely of so large a 
growth asthe former [P. Americana], but rising with a stiff, 
shrubby stalk, dividing into many branches, which are garnished 
with smooth lance-shaped leaves, much smaller and narrower 
than the first kind [P. Americana], a little waved on their 
edges, marked with very fine, slight, coloured serratures; and of 
an equal, shining green colour, on both sides. The blossoms 
generally come out very thick, and are succeeded by oval, or often 
somewhat egg-shaped fruit, with a very thin skin, and soft, sweet 
pulp. There are varieties of this with yellow and crimson col- 
oured fruit. ‘These being natives of the southern states, are 
somewhat impatient of much cold.’’ 


73. African.—Medium to rather large, round-oblong, dark red ; 
leaves small, short-oblong-lanceolate. Early tomedium. Orig- 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 29 


inated under cultivation by G. Onderdonk, S. Texas, and intro- 
duced by him in 1870. C. 


74. Arkansas Lombard.—Medium, round or round-oblong, 
red; leaves medium, ovate-oblong. Early to medium, ripening 
just before Newman. Arkansas. Said to have been introduced 
by J. D. Morrow & Sons. 


75. Caddo Chief.—Medium or rather small, round, red ; leaves 
medium in size, short, ovate-oblong. Very early, ripening with 
Early Richmond cherry. Wild from Caddo Parish, Loui- 
siana. Introduced by G. W. Stoner. Blooms and ripens very 
Catv iienortuermn Lexds, the fruit, is ripethey.middle. of 
MayecC, 


76. Coletta.—Medium to large, round-oblong, light red ; leaves 
small, oblong-lanceolate. ‘Treesomewhat thorny. Early or very 
early. Originated under cultivation in southern Texas by G. 
Onderdonk, who introduced it in 1874. Ripens with Caddo 
Chief... C. 


977.  Larly Red.—Medium, round, red; leaves medium, ob- 
long-lanceolate. arly or very early. Origin southern Texas 
under cultivation by G. Onderdonk ; introduced by himin 1872. 
There is a Russian plum (Prunus domestica), introduced by Pro- 
fessor Budd, known as Early Red. C. 


78. £1 Paso.—Medium, round, red; leaves medium, ovate- 
oblong. Ripens during July and August in southern Texas. 
Originated and introduced by Lee Beaty, Texas. 


79. Lmerson’s Larly.—Rather large, round, purple-red, skin 
very thin: cling. Said to be agood market sort. Very early. 
Wild variety from northern Texas. Introduced by Mr. Bruce. 
Similar to Lone Star, but a better grower. 


80. floffman.—Medium to rather large, round, purple-red ; 
leaves medium, oblong-lanceolate. Mid-season to late. A wild 
variety from southwestern Missouri. ‘‘ Very sure and prolific 
[in Texas].’’—J/unson. Ripe in northern Texas the middle of 
July, later than the Wild Goose. 


81. Jennie Lucas.—Medium to rather large, round, yellow ; 
leaves short, ovate-oblong. Early. Originated under cultiva- 
tion and introduced, in 1875, by G. Onderdonk, southern 
e<as. °C. 


82. Lone Star.—Rather large, round-oblony, red, skin very 
thin ; leaves rather small, oblong-lanceolate. Early. Originated 
in Texas by EH. W. Kirkpatrick ; grown from wild seed from 
/ eastern Texas. C. 


30 BULLETIN 38. 


AUER 
(hed) / 
iy) 


x At Wy / Y Heege 
NS LLAMA le 


Fic. 7.—Newman Plums. Natural size. 


‘83. Newman (Figs. 6 and 7).—Rather large, nearly globular 
or round-oblong, pink-red with prominent light spots near the 
apex, yellowish opposite the sun ; leaves rather large, oblong- 
lanceolate. Medium to late. Ripens in New York in October. 
Introduced from Kentucky by W. F. Heikes. One of the best 
known of the Chickasaws. In our plantation the Newman is 
hardy, but the flowers, instead of appearing before the leaves as 
in the central and southern states, appear with the leaves in loose 
umbel-like clusters. This is the same kind of variation which 
occurs in the Wild Goose (see No. 61). In some of the New 
York trees the leaves are unusually large and often nearly plane. 
The Chickasaw method of growth is fairly well retained, how- 
ever. Warren is thought to be identical with Newman. C. 


84. Ogeechee.—Small to medium, round-oblong, red; leaves 
short, ovate-oblong. Very early. Similar to Caddo Chief. Wild 
from Georgia ; introduced by G. Bourquin. 


85. Fottawattamie.—Rather large, round, red; leaves rather 
small, narrowly oblong-lanceolate to ovate-oblong. arly to 
medium. ‘Tennessee; it was taken to Jowa ina lot of Miners, 
and came under the notice of J. B. Rice, Council Bluffs, in 1875, 
who introduced it. Various stories are told about its origin, but 
the above is correct. It appears to have received its name from 
Mr. Rice. Like the Newman, the leaves appear to be larger in 
the north. ‘‘ Enormous bearer.’’—Berckmans. C. 


86. Robinson.—Medium, round, blotchedred; leaves medium 
or small, ovate-oblong or oblong-lanceolate. Mid-season, ‘‘ This 
is a seedling grown by a Mr. Pickett, of Putnam county, Indiana, 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. RAE 


from a seedling brought with him from North Carolina, nearly 
fifty years ago, and has, almost every season (since large enough) 
borne abundant crops, but was neglected, and never brought to 
the notice of the public till 1879, when Dr. J. H. Robinson (of 
the same township) read a paper before the Indiana Horticultural 
Society, on Chickasaw Plums, and gave a very flattering descrip- 
tion of this plum, which he had been watching since 1872, and 
of which he had two good crops on his own trees, which bore 
two bushels to the tree five years after planting, and has borne 
good crops annually, except once, when killed by late frosts. It 
was named by the Putnam County Horticultural Society in honor 
of Dr. Robinson.’’—Albertson & Hobbs, Bridgeport, Indiana 
(1885), who introduced the variety in the fall of 1884 and spring 
of 1885. Like Wild Goose and Newman, in New York the flowers 
appear with the leaves. C. 

87. Schley (Schleys Large Red).—Rather large, round, red ; 
leaves medium, ovate,or lance-ovate. Early to medium. Said 
to have been introduced from Georgia by W. K. Nelson. Much 
like Roulette except in foliage. Possibly Prunus hortulana. A 
very spreading and straggling grower. C. 

88. Strawberry.—We are growing but have not fruited a plum 
under this name which appears to have been recently introduced. 
I know nothing of its history. C. 

Warren.—See Newman. 

89. Wooten.—large, round-oblong, yellow with red markings; 
leaves medium, oblong-lanceolate. Medium to late.. Found wild 
in central Texas (Colorado River), and introduced by A. M. 
Ramsey. ‘‘ Very sure and prolific.’’—J/unson. Ripe from early 
to middle July in northern Texas. Possibly P. hortulana. 


90. Yellow Transparent.—Rather large, oblong, lemon yellow; 
leaves rather small, oblong-lanceolate. Early. Originated in 
northern Texas by J. L. Freeman. Selected from thousands of 
"varieties grown from wild seed. 

I have plants from Kansas under the name of ‘‘ Kansas Dwarf 
Cherry,’’ which are evidently a bush-like form of this species. 
They have not yet borne. | 

The ‘‘ Sand Plum,’’ which is occasionally grown in Nebraska, 
is Prunus angustifolia, if I may judge from leaves sent me by Dr. 
C. E. Bessey, of the University of Nebraska. Dr. Bessey writes 
as follows of this plum :* *‘ Occasionally I hear of a ‘Sand Plum,’ 
said to grow in the southwestern and western parts of the state. 
No authentic specimens have been seen although I have in my 


* Second Report upon Native Trees and Shrubs of Nebraska, 18. 


32 BULLETIN 38. 


collection some twigs and leaves from plants cultivated under this 
name, and thought, by the growers, to have been taken up from 
wild patches in the state.’’ It is not improbable that this Sand 
Plum is the same as the Kansas Dwarf Cherry mentioned above. 

The Chickasaw group jis particularly adapted to the southern 
states and it succeeds as far north as Maryland and Kentucky, 
while some of the varieties are hardy in central New York. ‘The 
leading varieties are Caddo Chief, Jennie Lucas, Lone Star, New- 
man, Pottawattamie, Robinson and Yellow Transparent. 


E. THE MARIANNA Group.—The Marianna and De Caradeuc 
plums—and probably, also, the Hattie—constitute a distinct class 
from any of the foregoing, differing in habit of tree, very early 
flowering, elliptic-ovate rather small and finely serrate dull leaves, 
glandless leaf-stalks, and soft spherical, very juicy plums of a 
“ sugar and water’’ character, and broad ovate stones which are 
scarcely pointed and are prominently furrowed on the front edge. 
The botanical position of these plums has been a subject of spec- 
ulation, to which I have added my full share of confusion.* I 
have devoted more study to these plums than to any others, and I 
am now convinced that the De Caradeuc is myrobalan and 
that the Marianna is either the same species or a hybrid between 
it and some American plum, possibly the Wild Goose. ‘This, I 
am aware, is a startling conclusion, particularly as the Marianna 
has come to be so extensively used as a stock to replace the my - 
robalan, which appears to be growing in disfavor. Before enter- 
ing into detail concerning the origins of these plums, it will be 
useful to our inquiry to clear up some of the history of the myro-* 
balan plum. 

The word myrobalan (or myrobolan), as a noun, is used to de- 
signate various small tropical fruits which are used in the arts, 
chiefly for tanning purposes. It is now commonly applied to the 
fruits of the species of Terminalia, of the family Combretacez, 
which are imported from India. The word was early applied to 
a smallplum grown in Europe, probably because of some resem- 
blance in size or other characteristics to the myrobalans of com- 
merce. This plum has had a curious history. The first un- 


*In my Nursery-Book (p. 252) I referred them to Prunus umbellata, Ell. 
. e 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. ee: 


doubted reference to it which I know is in Clusius’ Rariorum 
Plantarum Fiistorta, 1601. Clusius gives a good figure of it, but 
says that it was not generally known. Some people thought that it 
came originally from Constantinople, and others that it came from 
Gaul. Clusius leans toward the latter view. He calls it the 
myrobalan plum, but does not know the origin of the name. For 
nearly two hundred years after Clusius wrote, the fruitis described 
by various authors in different parts of Europe, under the names 
of myrobalan or cherry plum, during which time doubts were cast 
upon its European origin. Thus Tournefort in 1700 said that it 
came from North America. In 1789 Ehrhart* described it asa 
distinct species under the name Prunus cerasifera or ‘‘ cherry- 
bearing plum,’’ and said distinctly that it is a native of North 
America. Some thirty years before this time, Linneeus had de- 
scribed it as Prunus domestica var. myrobalan and gave it a Ku- 
ropean origin. In 1812, Loiseleur Deslonchampsrt described it as 
Prunus myrobalana, saying that it was supposed to be of Ameri- 
can origin. From that time until now the nativity of the myro- 
balan plum has been uncertain, but European writers have us- 
ually avoided the difficulty by referring it to America; and 
American botanists have for the most part ignored it becatse 
it is a cultivated plant. Soit happens that this pretty fruit has 
fallen between two countries, and is homeless. Sereno Watson 
in his Index to North American botany published in 1878, refers. 
Ehrhart’s Prunus cerasifera to the common beach plum (Prunus 
maritima) of the Atlantic coast. But the myrobalan is wholly 
different in every character from the beach plum, and it has been 
long cultivated upon walls in Europe, a treatment which no one 
would be likely to give to the little beach plum. Torrey and Gray 
in 1838, in the Flora of North America, do not mention the my- 
robalan plum. After all the exploration of the North American 
flora, no plant has been found which could have been the original 
of this plum; while its early cultivationin Europe, together with 
the testimony of Clusius and other early herbalists, is strong pre- 
sumption that it is native to the Old World. This presumption 


*Beitrage zur Naturkunde, iv. 17. 
+Nouveau Duhamel Traité des Arbres et Arbustes, v. 184, t. 57, fig. I. 


& 


34 | BULLETIN 38. 


is increased by the doubt which exists in the minds of the lead- 
ing botanists, from Linnzeus down, as to its systematic position, 
for if there is difficulty in separating it from Prunus domestica, 
the original of the common plum and which is itself a native of 
the Old World and immensely variable, there is strong reason for 
suspecting that it is only an offshoot of that species ; and this pre- 
sumption finds strong support in other directions. But one need 
not study far into the European plums until he convinces himself 
that the essential features ofthe myrobalan plum are present in sev- 
eral of the wild or half wild forms of southern and southeastern 
Europe, no matter what the ultimate origin of the fruit may be. 
Plums from Turkestan (presumably wild) now growing upon the 
grounds of Hllwanger & Barry at Rochester, N. Y., are certainly 
myrobalan ; andit may besaid that the so-called Prunus Pissardz, 
‘which has been recently introduced from Persia, is but a purple- 
leaved myrobalan plum.* I have no doubt, therefore, but that the 
myrobalan plum is native to Hurope or Asia; and it is full time 
that an America origin be no longer ascribed to it.f 

The myrobalan plum has long been used in this country as a 
stock for various plums. Except upon the Pacific coast, it appears 
to be falling into disuse, however, as it dwarfs the cion and is not 
suited to all varieties. The endeavor to find some stock which 
can take the place of the myrobalan has resulted in the popular- 
izing of the Marianna, but which, if not pure myrobalan, cer- 
tainly partakes very largely of it. The myrobalan is generally 
distributed over the country as a stock, and bearing trees of it 
are occasionally seen. The Golden Cherry plum of Downingt 
is undoubtedly this species, and the fruit now known as Young- 
ken’s Golden Cherry is certainly myrobalan, and it is probably 
identical with the variety described by Downing. The fruits may 
be either yellow or red im various shades. ‘They are round and 
cherry-like, with a depression at the base, on slender stems, © 
ranging in size from that of a large cherry to an inch and a half 
in diameter. The myrobalan is very variable, a fact which finds 


*Mr. Kerr has grown a purple-leaved plum from seed of De Caradeuc. 
t See also Garden and Forest, i. 178. 
{ Fruits and Fruit Trees, 916. 


ay 


tZeé 


ls full s 


Detai 


Sprays half size. 


Fic. 8.—Marianna. 


36 BULLETIN 38. 


record in the various shapes and sizes of the commercial imported 
stones. 


91.—De Caradeuc.—Rather large (1 to 14% indiam.), globular, 
deep dull purple red when ripe with a prominently colored suture, — 
but yellowish green splashed with red when it first becomes edible: 
flesh thin, very juicy and sweet: cling, the stone round-ovate, 
rather turgid, scarcely pointed and evenly pitted ; leaves rather 
firm, ovate-oblong. Early. In central New York it ripens from 
the first to the middle of August. Tree an erect grower. This 
plum appears to agree with the myrobalan in all important botan- 
ical characters, even to the broad and strongly reflexed calyx 
lobes and stalked flowers. About a year ago I became convinced 
that De Caradeuc is Prunus cerasifera, and I was glad to have my 
opinion confirmed by so good a nurseryman as P. J. Berckmans 
of Georgia, who named the variety ; and the origin of the plum, 
which I have since learned, corroborates my conclusion. It orig- 
inated with A. De Caradeuc upon his former farm near Aiken, 
South Carolina, about the years 1850 to1854. Mr. DeCaradeuc 
imported some French plums, from the seed of which this variety 
came. ‘here were several Chickasaw plums in the vicinity of 
the French trees and Mr. DeCaradeuc thinks that the variety 
under consideration is a hybrid, but I am unable to discover any 
evidence of hybridity. The original tree of the variety ‘‘out- 
grew the parent, and reached a diameter of head of fifteen feet, 
was entirely free from thorns and suckers, and bore a remarkably 
rich and beautiful foliage.’’ The variety blooms very early, 
some days ahead of the Marianna, and the flowers, as in all varie- 
ties of P. cerasifera, are somewhat scattered and less abundant 
than in the native species. C. 


92. Marianna. (Fig. 8).—lLarge, round-oblong, short-stemmed 
as compared with the De Caradeuc, bright red and finely speckled 
and covered with a thin bloom: flesh soft and sweet, juicy: 
semi-cling, the stone like that of DeCaradeue (see Fig. 8) ; flow- 
ers small, sessile or short-stalked, in dense lateral clusters like the 
native varieties, the calyx lobes, narrow and erect ; leaves much 
asin De Caradeuc, but thinner. A little later than De Caradeuc, 
but ripens before the Wild Goose. Tree a very spreading 
grower. C. | 

From the above description it will be seen that the Marianna is 
in several respects intermediate between Prunus cerasifera as rep- 
resented in DeCaradeuc, and the native American plums, particu- 
larly in the short-stemmed fruit, small nearly sessile and clustered 
later flowers and erect narrow calyx lobes, and spreading habit. 
Itis therefore little surprise to learn that the originator considers 
it a seedling of Wild Goose. It originated as a seedling ina 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 37 


mixed orchard at Marianna, Polk Co., Texas, the property of 
Charles G. Fitzé. So far as I can learn, the seed was not hand- 
sown, and there is a chance for error in the history. The variety 
was introduced in 1884 by Charles N. Eley, Smith Point, Texas. 

The Marianna grows readily from cuttings, and this, in connec- 
tion with the hardiness and vigor of the variety and the readiness 
with which it unites in graftage with several species of prunus, 
has madeit very popularasastock. The myrobalan itself grows 
from cuttings but in most cases not toa profitable extent. Ihave 
recently made a small experiment upon the rooting of cuttings of 
myrobalan, De Caradeuc and Marianna in identical conditions, 
under heat. Of myrobalan cuttings, less than ten per cent. grew; 
of De Caradeuc, less than twenty per cent.; of Marianna, about 
seventy per cent. I do not know where the Marianna could 
have obtained this peculiarity to grow readily from cuttings ; but 

it isidle to attribute it to hybridity until we have determined if 
all varieties of myrobalans grow with equal difficulty from cut- 
tings. The question will at once arise if the Marianna is reliable 
as a stock, seeing that it is probably partly of myrobalan origin ; 
and in reply I can only say that experience alone can determine 
the value of a stock. Thus far the Marianna has given good re- 
sults. JI apprehend that some of the dissatisfaction with myroba- 
lan stocks should be laid to the indiscriminate use of variable 
seedlings ; in order to obtain uniform results a particular variety 
or strain of myrobalan should be used. In this connection I may 
observe that the flowers of Marianna appear with the leaves in 
New York, while they appear before the leaves—as shown in Fig. 
8—in the middle and southern states; and this peculiarity I have 
observed in myrobalan, and also. as previously recorded, in Wild 
Goose, Newman and Robinson. 


Hattie.—Medium, round-oblong, red: cling, the stone 
much like that of Marianna in shape but rather more pointed and 
nearly smooth ; flowers small and clustered, the calyx lobes small 
and erect ; leaves small, short-oblong or ovate-oblong, somewhat 
conduplicate, dull and firm, finely serrate, the stalks glandless ; 
branches stiff and conspicuously rough or warty. Early, below 
‘medium in quality. The history of this plum I am unable to 
trace. In some respects it closely resembles the Chickasaws, but 
I cannot escape the conviction that it is partly myrobalan. I 
have seen the same rough shoots in the myrobalan plum. C. 


38 BULLETIN 38. 


F. Tse Beacu PLumM.—(Prunus maritima, Wangenheim 
[1781]). Fig.9. ‘The beach plum is a straggling more or less 
decumbent bush, reaching three to six or even twelve feet in 
height, growing in the sands of the sea-coast from New Bruns- 
wick to Virginia, and perhaps extending farther towards the 
southwest.* The flowers are rather large for the size of the 
plant, and are borne on prominent stalks in clusters. The fruit, 
in the best forms, is about a half inch in diameter (see Fig. 9), 
and is deep, dull purple when ripe, and covered with a dense 
bloom ; the flesh is brittle, sweet and juicy, entirely free from the. 
stone; the skin is thick and tough, and usually leaves an acrid 
taste in the mouth when the fruit is eaten. Upon the Jersey 
coast the fruit is ripe the middle of August. Prunus maritima is in 
cultivation as an ornamental plant, it being very showy when in 
bloom and interesting in fruit. It succeeds well under cultiva- 
tion in the interior states. As a fruit plant it has given rise 
to but one variety : 

94. Bassetl?’s American (Fig. 10).—Small (about 34 in. in 
diameter), round or slightly round oblate, dull red, skin medium 
thick : free-stone, the stone nearly circu- 
lar in outline with a very short point or 
even pointless, thin upon the front edge, 
slightly rough; leaves a fourth or third 
larger than those of the wild beach plum. 
Medium to late, ripening in late August 
in eastern Maryland. Quality poor. In- 
troduced about 20 years ago by Wm. F. 
Bassett, Hammonton, N. J., who bought 
the original tree of a man who found it 
in the neighborhood. It works well upon 
the Wild Goose, and Mr. Bassett writes 
me that he has a tree on such roots which 
is fifteen feet high, It was largely brought 
“ to notice through the efforts of the Rum- 

F1G. 10.- Bassett’s American. SON nurseries, where it was worked upon 

ge ie the myrobalan plum and the peach. I 
have seen a vigorous large tree at Mr. Kerr’s grafted upon the 
Richland, which is Prunus domestica. Mr. Kerr also finds that 
it grows upon the Chickasaws. The variety appears to differ 
from the wild beach plum only in size. *’ 


G. PRUNUS SUBCORDATA, the wild plum of the Pacific coast, 


* Prunus maritima has been found recently near the head of Lake Michi- 
gan. It is supposed to have been introduced. 


XV 


) 
\\\ 


WZ, 
I 


Ny Ue SS 

W\ AE 

In gO 
\ / eyeX 


NY’; if 
Ne: 
Wh, 
Yj 


Up 2 
YY; 


Naha 
GN 
(YES 


Fic. 9.—Beach Plum (Prunus maritina). Sprays half size. Details 
full size. 


40 BULDELTIN yao 


wasintroduced to cultivation in 1889 by T. V. Munson (see Annals 
Hort. 1889, 104; 1891, 235). Itis astraggling much branched 
shrub growing from three to ten feet high. It has subcordate 
roundish or round-ovate tomentose leaves and large pedicelled 
flowers which appear with the eaves. ‘The red fruit reaches 
three-fourths inch long. It iseaten by Indians and whites, Its 
value in cultivation is yet to be determined. 

H. Hysrips.—It is not known to what extent the native 
species of plums hybridize with each other or with foreign species, 
and nearly all the definite attempts at crossing are so recent that 
results have not been obtained. ‘The only apparently authentic 
hybrids have come from the union of the Wild Goose and the 
peach. Mr. Kerr has what appears to be an undoubted hybrid. 
The tree, as I recall it, is large, spreading and peach-like. ‘The 
leaves are long and peach-like, although rather broad and short- 
pointed, but the flower buds, although they form in profusion, 
never open, so that the tree is barren. ‘This is a hybrid between 
the Wild Goose and Troth’s Early peach. ‘T'wenty-five flowers 
of Wild Goose were emasculated in the bud and covered with 
paper sacks. When in full bloom, peach pollen was applied, but 
the flowers were not again covered. Twenty-one of the flowers — 
set fruit, and twenty-one trees were obtained from the seeds. 
Twenty of the trees were indistinguishable from peach, but the 
remaining one, as indicated above, gives every evidence of being 
a hybrid. One other apparent hybrid is the 


95. Blackman.—Nearly thirty years ago Mrs. Charity Clark 
procured from an orchard in Rutherford Co., Tenn., which con- 
tained Wild Goose and Washington plums, seeds of plums and 
gave them to Dr. Blackman, of Nashville. One tree among 
the resulting seedlings bore good fruit and it was called the 
Blackman, and was disseminated by a local nurseryman. A 
competing nursery, in endeavoring to procure cions from this tree, 
inadvertently cut them from an adjacent tree—itself one of the 
batch of seedlings—and sold the trees which it grew as Black- 
man. Now this second tree makes fruit buds in abundance but 
they never open; and from the resemblance of the leaves to those 
of the peach the plant is generally thought to be a hybrid between 
the Wild Goose and the peach. This assumption finds partial 
confirmation in the experiments of Mr. Kerr, recorded above, for 
this spurious Blackman is very much like his hybrid although 
the leaves are more pointed and still more peach-like.. Curiously 
enough, the genuine Blackman has never been widely dissem- 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHEXRIES. AI 


ainted, but the spurious and worthless substitute has been sold 
in. large quantities. In order to avoid confusion, the original 
Blackman has been rechristened Charity Clark. There are there- 
fore, two Blackman plums, one of which is practically unknown 
to cultivation, but which has been renamed, and the other is bar- 
ren and will soon pass from sight.* C. 

I. UNCLASSIFIED VARIETIES.—The following varieties I 
know only from printed references or from information afforded by 
correspondents, and I cannot, therefore, refer them to their 
proper species. 

96. Allen’s Yellow.—Medium, round, yellow and red, skin 
thick: cling. Kansas. 

97. Berry. 

98. Champion.—Very large, oblong, dark red, thick skin: 
flesh firm: cling. Late. H. A. Terry, 1890. Originated under 
cultivation. 

99. Charles Downing.—\arge, round-oblong, red, skin thin : 
flesh firm: cling. Medium to late. Should be worked on peach. 
H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1885. Originated under cultivation. 

100. Cherokee.—A medium size plum, round-oblong, blotched 
red, thick skin: cling. Said to have been found wild in Kansas. 

1o1. Col. Wilder.—\arge round-oblong, red, thin skin: flesh 
firm and of best quality: cling. Mediumto late. H. A. Terry, 
Iowa, 1888. Originated under cultivation. i 

102. Cook’s Choice. Medium, round, red, thin skin: flesh of 
best culinary quality: cling. Medium to late. H. A. Terry, 
1885. Originated under cultivation. 

103. Couler.—From Wm. Couler, Chickasaw Co., Iowa. ‘The 
Couler is a large plum of fair quality, ripening a little before 
Miner, but sometimes cracks open badly before ripe.’’—O. /7. 
Kenyon McGregor, Lowa Hort. Rept. xvit. 235. 

104. Crescent City.—Rather large, oblong, dark red, skin 
thick: cling. Date. H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1885. Originated 
under cultivation. 

105. Diamond.—Seedling from wild Nebraska seed grown by 
John A. Hogg. ‘‘ Grows fully as large as most of the tame 
varieties. Ripens last of September, and when fully ripe gets 
bright red on one side.’’-——/ohn A. Hogg, Nebr. Hort. Rept. 
PogO, eT. 

106. Dr. Dennis.—Large, round-oblong, red, thinskin: flesh 


*For a fuller account of the Blackman plums, see VanDeman in Rept. 
Dept. Agric. 1887, 636. The Blackman has been recommended as a stock for 
peaches upon the supposition that it enjoys immunity from yellows. See 
Cal. Orchard and Farm, iv. 3. 


42 BULLETIN 38. 


firm and good: cling. H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1890. Originated. 
under cultivation. 


107. Dunlap.—Warge, round, yellow, thin skin: flesh firm 
and of high quality: cling. Mediumseason. Nebraska seedling 
introduced by J. P. Dunlap. 


108. arly Honey.—An early variety, evidently a Chickasaw, 
which originated in Grayson Co., Texas. 


109. “&//zs.—Rather large, round, red, skin very thin: semi- 
cling. Ranks high for market or for home use. Late. Said to 
be across between Wild Goose and Golden Beauty. N. Texas. 
Introduced by T. L. Ellis. | 

110. “sther, Rather large, round-oblong, dark red, skin thick : 
cling Medium to late. H..A. Terry, Iowa, 1885. Originated 
under cultivation. 

111. “xcelsior. 


112. Hammer.—lWarge, oblong, light red, skin thin: of extra 
‘quality : cling Medium to late. H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1888. 
Originated under cultivation. Said to bea seedling of Wild 
Goose. 

113. ffouston County. 


114. Hughes. A large round red plum said to have come 
from northern Mississippi. 


115. J/ola.—Very large, oblong, dark yellow and red, Be me- 
dium thick: flesh firm: free. Late. D.B. Wier, Illinois. 


116. lrene.—Very large, round, bright red, thick skin : flesh 
firm: cling. Late. D. B. Wier, Illinois. 


117. J/thaca.—Said to have come from Peter M. Gideon, Minn. 
118. /ames Vick. 
BLO.) ewell: 


120. /ones —Large, oblong, red, skin thick: flesh firm, good : 
cling. Late. H. Jones, Iowa, 1882. Originated under culti- 
vation. 


121. Jiles.—Said to have originated in Illinois from seed taken 
from North Carolina. 


122. . M/ilton.—Rather large, round-oblong, dark red, skin 
thin: flesh firm :‘cling.. Early. H.A. Terry, 188533Saie 
be a seedling of Wild Goose. 


123. Mrs. Clifford.—Very large, pear-shaped, red, skin very 
thin: semi-cling. Fine for market or home use. Possesses a 
peculiar and agreeable pineapple flavor. Medium early. Orig- 
inated in northern Texas under cultivation, ‘and introduced by E. 
C. Clifford. Said to be a seedling of Wild Goose, and a great im- 
provement upon that variety. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 43 


124. Muncy. 


125. M@unson.—Rather large, oblong, red, skin thin: cling. 
Late. Originated under cultivation in Texas. Introduced in 
1888 by G. Onderdonk. 


126. New American. 
127. Okaw. (Annals Hort. 1890, 175). 


128. Piram.—\arge, round, yellow, skin thin: cling. Medium 
early. A very productive variety. Originated under cultivation 
in Texas and introduced by G. Onderdonk, 

129. Rare Ripe—A dark red plum alittle smaller than De Soto: 
cling. Quality better than De Soto, but inferior to Harrison’s 
Peach. Hardy.—C. A. Keffer, Bull. 26, S. Dak. Exp. Sta. 


130. Raymond, 
131. Rockford.—Good size, round, purple, thin skin: of best 


quality: cling, Medium to late, Wild Iowa variety, introduced 
by C, G. Patten, Charles City Iowa, 1889. C, 

132, Locky Mountain Seedling. 

133. ound,—From Iowa. 

134. Szlas Wilson,—lLarge, round-oblong, light red, skin thin : 
of best quality: cling. Medium to late. H. A, Terry, Iowa, 
1890. Originated under cultivation. 


135. Smzley.—Very large, dark red. Alabama? 

$340... Jenucha, 

137. Lomlingson. 

138. Van Deman.—\Uarge, betel light red, skin thin: of 
best quality: cling. Medium tolate. H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1890. 
Originated under cultivation. 


139. Wady’s Early.—Early and very good, but the tree is a 
poor grower and the fruit is rather small. 


140. Winnebago.—Fruit above medium in size, orange-scarlet, 
excellent for culinary purposes. Minnesota. Probably P, Amert- 
cana. 


$2. Cultivation of the Native Plums. 

zr. Impotent varieties. Planting.—It is not strange that difh- 
culties should beset the cultivation of fruits which are yet scarcely . 
rescued from a wild state. The chief difficulty in the growing of 
the native plums is the fact that some varieties do not fertilize 
themselves. ‘This peculiarity appears to be due not to any im- 
perfection in the flowers but to the comparative impotency of 
pollen upon flowers of the same variety. Imperfect flowers are 
‘occasionally observed, but they are apparently peculiarities of 
individual trees or particular seasons. Thus in our Newmans 


44 BULLETIN 38. 


this year only about every twelfth flower has a perfect pistil. I 
have observed a similar defect in wild plums. I know a wild 
tree of Prunus Americana which bears flowers without pistils. 
Theimpotency of pollen appears to be characteristic of certain 
varieties, as, for example, Wild Goose, Miner, Wazata, Minne- 
tonka, Itaska. Other varieties of the same species are fertile 
with themselves, as Moreman, Newman, Wayland, Golden Beauty, 
Marianna, Deep Creek, Purple Yosemite. In order to insure fer- 
tilization, mixed planting is practiced when the impotent varieties 
are grown; and it is an important study to determine what varie- 
ties are the best pollinizers for a given kind. Evidently, the two 
varietiesin any case must bloom at the same time and the pollin- 
izer must produce an abundance of pollen. Thus the Newman is 
a good pollinizer for the Wild Goose, but it blooms too early for 
the Americana varieties. In some of the western states, Forest 
Garden is considered to be a good pollinizer for Miner. Itisa 
common opinion among good plum growers that the common or 
Domestica plums, the peach and even the cherries will fertilize 
the Wild Goose. ‘There is certainly much general evidence in 
support of this opinion, but it remains to be proved. A case 
within my own experience lends color to this opinion. A half 
dozen large trees of Wild Goose were barren until trees of plums 
and cherries about them bloomed profusely, when the Wild Goose 
bore a heavy crop. 

There is much difference of opinion concerning the methods of 
planting in order tosecure fertilization. Many growers advise plant- 
ing in thick hedge-like rows, the trees standing not more than four 
or eight feet apart in the row, every fourth or fifth tree, or every 
alternate row, being a self-fertile and very polliniferous variety. 
Others practice setting the trees from nine to twelve feet apart each 
way, with the impotent varieties in alternate rows. In this way, 
for example, Forest Garden is made to fertilize both Miner and 
Wild Goose. This treatment is commonly known as ‘‘close 
planting,’’ and it has many able advocates. It is said, also, that 
this close planting shades the ground so completely as to make it 
too cool for the rapid development of the curculio. Such plant- 
ings, unless the trees are heroically trimmed, soon result in an 
unmanageable tangle. I have seen a Wild Goose tree 36 feet 
across and still growing and bearing, and Miner, Leptune and ~ 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 45 


Langsdon scarcely: less. Mr. Kerr, who is a very successful 
grower, sets his trees from twenty to thirty feet apart, and others 
have good success with equally thin planting. It is probable 
that different varieties or combinations demand different treat- 
ment in this respect ; but it is plain that while the majority of 
native plums appear to be self-fertile, some of the most important 
varieties are impotent. 

2. Propagation.—Another important difficulty is that relating 
to the selection of stocks. The native species work well upon 
each other, but the permanency and strength of the different 
unions are still moot points. The varieties also unite readily with 
the Marianna ; and Domestica plum stocks, myrobalan and peach 
are also used. In general, it may be said that a variety prefers a 
stock of its own species, although the true Chickasaws sprout or 
sucker so badly as to make them undesirable. In the northern 
states, especially in the prairie region, the Prunus Americana 
stocks are most reliable because of their hardiness; and as the 
Americana varieties are the ones chiefly grown in this region, the 
problem is a comparatively simple one. Wild Goose is grown 
largely upon the peach in the warmer latitudes andsome growers 
prefer this stock even in the north. All the Chickasaws grow 
well upon the peach, as do also Miner, Forest Rose, and per- 
haps all the Hortulana type. Recently the Marianna has come to 
be a popular stock upon which to work all varieties ; and as far 
as known it is one of the best, although I fear that its indiscrimi- 
nate use may result in some disappointment. Mr. G. Onderdonk, 
a well known nurseryman and fruit grower of ‘Texas, is certain 
that the Marianna is preferable to the peach as a stock for the 
southern native plums. His reasons for this opinion are as 
follows :* 

‘““tst. The peach sometimes sprouts from the roots. ‘The 
Marianna never does this. 

‘“2d. ‘The peach has more eyes or buds near the surface of the 
soil, both above and below, than the Marianna. These eyes cause 
at least two or three times more pruning in the case of peach 
stocks than in Marianna. | 

‘“3d. The peach requires better drainage than the plum stock. 


*Fruit Growers’ Journal. 


46 BULLETIN 38. 


I raise good healthy plum trees on Marianna stocks in places 
where it would be useless to plant anything on peach stocks. 

‘“ath. The peach stock is subject, under certain conditions, 
to root-rot, I have never seen a case of root-rot among Mari- 
annas. 

‘“sth. While the Marianna is subject to root-knot as well as 
the peach, yet it very seldom fails to have the knot at the bottom, 
so that it can be cut away without injury to tree. In case of 
peach stocks the tree is usually lost when infested with root-knot. 

‘“6th. In extreme southern Texas peach seeds fail to germ- 
inate either totally or partially after a mild winter. In the spring of 
1890, not a single peach seed germinated in this section. We have 
much annoyance from this source. On the contrary we have never 
failed of securing a good stand of Marianna plants from cuttings, 
when they had been properly treated. Therefore the Marianna 
makes us a sure supply of stocks for propagation of plum trees, 
which the peach does not do in southern Texas. Farther north 
these conditions may be less worthy of consideration. 

‘““th. As each peach seedling is a distinct variety from every 
other one, and the different varieties vary materially in vigor, 
and often in other habits, it follows that the stocks necessarily 
vary in capacity to develop trees. On the other hand a reasona- 
ble amount of care in selecting cuttings of the Marianna enables 
us to produce stocks of nearly uniform capacity, and therefore to 
produce trees of a more nearly uniform strength and value.”’ 

These comparisons will hold, Mr. Onderdonk thinks, in refer- 
ence to stocks for apricots, but for peaches the Marianna is a 
failure with him. 

Sprouts from own-rooted trees are often employed for increasing 
native plums, of such varieties as sprout readily, as Miner, Wild 
Goose, Forest Garden, De Soto and various Chickasaws. But 
this practice is not in general favor. 

3.  Varieties.—The question of the best varieties for certain 
purposes and regions is a disputed one, as should be expected 
from the large number of varieties in cultivation and the newness 
of the native plum industry. Undoubtedly the most popular 
variety is the Wild Goose, but its popularity is due less to the 
quality of its fruits than to the hardiness and productiveness of 
the tree and the early fruit. The Miner is perhaps the hardiest 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS. AND CHERRIES. 47 


well-known variety of the Hortulana type. It succeeds in many 
places in northern Illinois. In Wisconsin, Lowa, Nebraska, and 
regions to the north of them, only the Americana class is hardy, 
asarule. The Chickasaws are best adapted to the middle and 
southern states. None of the native plums have been tried to any 
extent in New York and New England, from the fact that the 
common or Domestica plums succeed so well there. The incur- 
sions of the septoria or shot-hole fungus,—which causes prema- 
ture dropping of the leaves,—are calling attention to the native 
plums, and itis not too much to expect that they will gain in 
favor as they become better known. And the growing taste for 
a greater variety of fruits must tend to popularize some of the 
native plums in the east. 

In order to determine the values of the leading varieties 
in different parts of the country, I have obtained the opinions 
of various representative growers, and these estimates are 
tabulated below. Two estimates have been asked for each 
variety, one upon its market value as judged by productiveness 
and vigor of tree and size, beauty and firmness of fruit, and one 
upon its home value as a culinary or dessert fruit. The estimates 
are expressed in figures, 10 being taken to represent the highest 
excellence. The figures in the first double column were com- 
piled by myself and were sent to all the correspondents, who 
marked their disagreements from my estimate. In general, there- 
fore, it may be said that when a correspondent gives no estimate 
he agrees with my own ; although there are some varieties in each 
case with which the correspondent was not acquainted, and he 
should not be held to a strict account for the unreported varieties. 
Finally, I wish to say that my own estimates are made very 
largely upon the judgments of Mr. Kerr, of the Chesapeake 
peninsula (Maryland), and that all my figures will apply to that 
region. 


BULLETIN 38. 


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49 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 


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BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES 51 


I am indebted to Mr. Kerr, of Maryland, for some very ac- 
curate and interesting observations concerning the seasons of 
leading native plums and the dates of blooming. ‘Tables II, III 
and IV contain this information : 


TABLE III. ACTUAL DATES OF RIPENING OF NA- 
TIVE PLUMS ON THE CHESAPEAKE PENINSULA 
(KERR). 


QU ea eho tie o'ccles w pint evs veespaes From July 20-Aug. 20 
ele S39 OTN DAL ooo 0 42) ae ce anecdote cass «slay: Wi plover tye oF 
Sas Ele AGS TG ea tenn ees hs “ - 6-July -20 
EMRE CAME Rees scutes’. Dac Ooh nelle si tc0eas Seagale osu naecs ‘2 20-RUS. 15 
PM TOC LIA 20. ri8 Ab rvna Gio8 sa'ces ee sesvnet ow'sdae ines PUD Ao es 
cp UGS AC ines 8 Cel RRR pie SA ee July 5-ia Aa ko 

ee A RRC a sco a re eA eh) cit Uris 

ees rete an hate es pao vedo des ees Sc elianne Fa, Sos Oe aC) 
8 \ USS IU Ss (s Sap eee ee ad ce a epenoe Neg vance ‘“  6-July 20 
ATCC yn oe dase vo sec ac he cs vessels veces ‘ 25-Aug. 20 
ME ee re Ny coos okie sao av anh snk a 20— oC 
Oe ergs ee ned (Howe's sy sin cde eeece'sd obs Sept. 1-Oct. 10 
ME OLOCTIOUCAULY sent ie Once veep scno esc narseescusvonieds Aug.20-Sept. 15 
Gey 812 100) en er emo MM oss Loree ice aa ena July 25-Aug 15 
St Be RES a e/a ee re 25- 20 
OM PES UD na tye ae s Lac anac ees cdapesesceres RIOR oe es 
eset ese scent desing one e ts con pinsilsvncgentgeess es ASS Tre ens 
TET ASO IS UCAG C00 ope. toe ple see ve serpent ba tuweedew ses ce July 12-July 25 
RINE GF NF octet tee Lie ak Seay bes bes cy oy font od hee Vues © V25 Ue 15 
I IG ie ect ice tata so oak hodarsdeseasendseiscdus tat Aug.25-Sept. 30 
EAT de ld goten ice con xv een cases dane dge oto Wise as dims July 8-July 25 
LOSES SN iS aa ea ma I Se ora ETE 25 Aloe 20 
NE CDM Sac ee dot sss. Shee ha gue pata etakow hee sats aero tere Ae Uy vs | 
PemNIINeT 2,0... EPR Hle tons) teins Cepanee emmeeren taae Seth HDR aay eee 
MISO OTICAT fs Sha focisgs sa ccoe «du vam ipieadicaa site nd oes ATI Ie as 
MEME PSOUILIEAPTICOts) |... .s.s20c,senengteusecontsdetonrce Sept. 1-Sept. 25 
CAL ie pvc fsa iewens rec sacs sosens owe Wth ates es ons Ate. 25-2) aad 
SN ER yee oes 5 yc.» oss ose vate senee Crete ane July 30-Aug. 30 
MME UATE rte enc cos as Sen nse easteeeafias vss vie A RO ied 
PME MOSETIICE, 262. edie ss iqaegeitcasadne ss dyee ease ESS ey Pee 
BP Cte AG acy oc utc fs ows Jo. chs omental digo Vbininbe Hl 2har ae ee eO 
RE ME GED rc ys Ls. 1 siss Goes suedbngneencicbee ves Aug.25-Sept. 30 
MEO OLEGO IL eof era's ih. Oe dcts sb edeasias duct verse July 30-Aug. 20 
Re  CLOR Cfo cn tat dag veee'> cue sshegutodewns-Casece 25- 20 
ACEI Mah ete ths «vp o<veosds san p cen dte wallyh wa WG cn PUSS Ue Sea 
GN sae oe fb iciey nv no's Sunt «evden gua eon one duienew sss Pe Eat SEES 


52 - BULLETIN 38. 


BOE Wazata. ri icccsscsabecdeeccucetsbussedesssssadeetspsedcoce (ene ail Iisa tin 
ZEW UNW CA VETS Grin also § Oe tan hagedee yaa aie ote ane ar July 25-02 aes 
Gare WAG G GOOSEN. 3. oa dans eeeeus chal es cries oe ae ea reeneee ‘“ 1o-July 30 

or sometimes to Aug. 10 
VAS SGOeNT Tita 1h Sivralen ivatianhanand Bay babies analy Som Aa ea AN SY id July. 253 ees 


Mr. Kerr has made a careful record of the periods of flower- 
ing of the native plums for this year,—which was unusually 


late,—and it is given below: 


TABLE IV. FLOWERING PERIODS OF NATIVE PLUMS 
ON THE CHESAPEAKE PENINSULA FOR 1892 (KERR. ) 


Half the flowers 


First flowers 


open 

GesW ATTICA Tec laves Lilien nee stte DET G 

IaMenican dagle cet eek eo 
"A ATKkansas Lombard::....° 3 23 
94 Bassett’s American...... 1 
Pah GAUUOMC IEE cctiiatscter, drag ot 
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poy Coletign anor tan Joe: gals 
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Toe Kol CK ANOO ater ee, 
31 Le Duc See 
BG SEPTIC setae: sevecs east as a ee 
SG Ci Mele bern mee eae Gee 
23 GL OUISds itemise ee abaned. 
Ode, Mariannak nn: dolce Naot 
WO UNLINCT. CPi atecueetes palsies Pie 5 


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April 25 
ia 30 
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May 1 
April 16 
sé 29 
6¢ 19 
BB eh 
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April 28 
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c¢ 29 
Ce 30 
C6 25 
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c¢ 15 
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All open. 
April 27 
May I 
April 28 
May 2 
April 20 
May I 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 53 


52 Missouri Apricot......... Aes; iene ae) May rz 
PS pNTOTOITIATH. . ..-.305.hegeenses Sf 26 tA ae “ I 
PAM IVGIIAT! 0,3 v.51. = ha Seenicr ess Rede One as April 26 
OME AISOUS. \- No siasstees nese ta Nhl, PM aris 
85 Pottawattamie.... [826 ea 2G May 2 
Bear pre sVOsemiter as... Sees: Pearse) April 30 
PPPOMIQICEL Gots cy waves seks ius Wi 126 8 & Be aie: 
eA CHE OR eis ee spss pe eee eG May 2 
21S, TEC es Rng nen a cae Bec) vs I 
BO LODITISOM 1555 edie ve ten eae ce 3 April 26 
Pa ROCIOL Cg fei cess ¢ aN ae, ER ere ae. 
Poe ROMANO SLONG p17. icc.) << reas eo Senet: 
BM INOM LOL LC Loven shh as saces: th bya ey ay a gio se' 
he Sl on en ae eae a ara ary eters 
Oe CC yen site ges ess esne aged Wines eee 
BeeuCeet tate ..s 7. 525 ane mares) 
Seay ae ULE 0 5. oS eine pee 27 RENT May I 
POI ha lets coe ee ete eer EP tego April 26 
59 Wayland......05........ ole anize BIO Ke) 
MeV AZO CAn ve. 53 560. etn es ees iam | Ree Pak ea0) 
POC AVEL § o- sists tans aes Be? 5 Buh eh: aioe 8 
Gime WMA KET. an. 62. gros wonte Be 27 ie 2a OD sets 
Gmenvald:Goose,...6. 15. [40.4 fete 20 yi eee a ods, 
Pm SIA as Pees are ee «2 ost be .27 bere Be eee 
Pi Ot 8 le Aegan ace AS alana de Poa 2c May 1 
90 Yellow Transparent... ‘* 21 ante April 28 


4. Lnsects and diseases.—Numerous insects and fungi attack the 
native plums. Much has been written concerning the supposed 
immunity of the fruit from the attacks of the curculio, and while 
it may be said that there is no curculio-proof plum, it is also true 
that the native varieties, as a rule, are less injured than the com- 
mon or Domestica varieties.* 

The fungi which do serious injury to the native plums are in- 
dicated for this paper by Dr. E. F. Smith, of the Division of Veg- 
etable Pathology of the national Department of Agriculture, as 
follows : 7 


‘‘*The curculio prefers the domesticated to the native varieties of plums.” 
—C. P. Gillette, Bull. 9, Ta. Exp. Sta. 388 (1890.) Other observers confirm 
this opinion. Professor Gillette finds that in central Iowa the plum gouger 
(Coccotorus prunicida) is very injurious, and it attacks the native more than 
the domestic varieties. 


54 BULLETIN 38. 


6 


1. The American varieties suffer little from septoria, or the 
shot-hole fungus of the leaves. (See Arthur, 5th and 6th reports 
N. Y. Exp. Sta., with which my observations coincide). 

‘(9. Black-knot occurs on Prunus Americana in Michigan 
thickets, but I have never seen it upon the Chickasaws. 

‘©3. The brown fruit-rot (Wonilia fructigena) of the stone 
fruits attacks the native varieties, but they are more exempt, I 
think, than the varieties of Prunus domestica. As in the peach, 
the fungus attacks the twigs as well as the fruits. 

‘4, The leaf-rust (Puccinia prunt-spinose@) is said to do injury in 
the southwestern states, but while I have seen it on peaches in 
many parts of the country, I have not found it upon the native 
plums. 

‘5. Plum-pockets or bladders ( Zaphrina prunt) isa frequent dis- 
ease upon thenative plums. It attacks the Americana and Chick- 
asaw varities and the Wild Goose. In Michigan I have seen it 
only on the fruit, which it changes into conspicuous bladders. In 
Maryland and Georgia it is common on shoots of wild Chickasaws 
and on cultivated Wild Goose, and it rarely attacks the fruit. It 
does considerable injury every spring.* 

‘“6, An obscure blight often attacks native plums—as Wild 
Goose, Robinson, Marianna and others—causing the branches to 
die back during the growing season. The leaves and large 
branches and sometimes the whole tree wilt and become brown 
without apparent cause, and sometimes the tree dies. The roots 
do not appear to be involved, for they often send up healthy 
shoots after the entire top has died. This blight has been known 
in middle Georgia for several years and does more inj sa | to plums 
than all other troubles combined. 

‘7, ‘The peach-rosette also attacks the native plums and per- 
haps is destined to make more trouble than any other disease in 
the south and west. (See Jour. Mycology iv. 143; same vi. no. 
4; also bulletin of Div. Veg. Pathology on ‘ Additional Evidence 
of the Communicability of Peach Yellows and Peach Rosette.’)’’ 

The fruit-scab (Fig. 11), which injures many varieties, is 
discussed for me by Professor L. H. Pammel, of the Iowa Agri- 
cultural College : 


*See Smith, Jour. Mycology, iv. No. 3. 
fIbid. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. | 55 


‘‘ Cladosporium carpo- 
philum: So far, I have 
found this fungus only on 
the fruit, but in case of the 
peach Mr. Galloway re- 
/@™ cords it upon the leaves 
mas well. When plums 
are ripe or just turning 
in: color,: small. tound 
patches not larger than 

Fic. 11.—Fruit-scab. Natural size, a pin-head make their 
appearance. ‘These spots are pale greenish or greyish in color 
and increase in size till in some cases they are half an inch 
across. They are mostly round with a somewhat paler border. 
In older specimens the patches are frequently confluent and of 
darker brown color. In very old specimens, especially in those 
where the fruit has undergone decomposition, the patches become 
black and uneven. 

‘‘ A microscopic examination of the small greyish spots shows a 
nearly colorless mycelium creeping over the surface. In the darker 
portions of the large patches are septate hyphz orthreads. Insome 
cases these come through cracksinthecuticle. Thehypheareirreg- 
ular in outline and frequently bent. As the material becomes older 
a dense stroma of short brownish hyphe appears. Thisstroma lies 
between the cuticle and the cellulose layers of the cell-wall. Under 
favorable conditions it keeps on producing the erect septate hyphee 
which bears the slightly colored spores at theend. The spores are 
oval in shape, pointed at the end, and usually two-celled. On 
placing the spores in water they germinate in a short time, pro- 
ducing a colorless tube from one of the cells. 

‘‘ The disease does not impair the quality of the fruit, as the in- 
jury extends little beyond the spot, and affects only three or four 
layers of underlying cells. These cells take ona brown color, 
and have a slightly bitter taste. The greatest injury arises 
through the cracks which are frequently found in the older patch- 
es, which allow other fungi, like the fruit-rot, to work their way 
in, So it frequently happens that the rot accompanies the scab. 
The cladosporium or scab fungus causes the fruit to shrivel, in 
severe attacks. 


VAIN | 
A i, 
| 


Vi fe 
Al ( i Ui q 
Hh Ni 
Lf, i 


56 BULLETIN 38. 


‘“ Here in central Iowa I have observed this scab upon the fol- 
lowing varities : Speer, Chippeway, Cheney, De Soto, Rollingstone, 
Maquoketa (Fig. 11), Pottawattamie and Miner. It appears to 
be more or less local here as well as elsewhere in the United States. 
A correspondent has sent me specimens of the fungus on Prunus 
Americana grown in Virginia. The disease has also appeared in 
Canada, but principally on P. Americana, though in one case Profes- 
sor Craig received specimens on the Blue Orleans (P. domestica) 
from Toronto. It is destructive, as he informs me, on Manitoba yel- 
low plum, Cheney, Rollingstone, DeSoto and Speer. The disease 
did not appear, according to Mr. Craig, in Canada on the Central 
Experimental Grounds last year. Here at Ames it has not ap- 
peared on Prunus domestica, but in addition to the above, it is 
found on P. spinosa. It has become a very destructive fungus on 
sour Cherry (Prunus Cerasus), damage amounting from 2 to 25 
per cent. The disease is undoubtedly on the increase.”’ 

A fruit-spot (Fig. 12) has been sent me by T. 
V. Munson, Denisou, Texas, on the Golden 
Beauty. The disease is said to be seriousinsome 
years. It doesnot injure the fruit greatly except - 
to disfigure it and to render it unmarketable. I 
submitted the specimens to Professor J. E. 
| Humphrey of the Massachusetts Agricultural | 
College, who found the disease to be a 
phoma, but the exact species could not be . 
determined. It is, no doubt, somewhat allied 

Fic. 12.—Fruit-spot. tothe black-rot of the grape, and the treat- 

Natural size. : 
ment used for grapes should be tried upon the 
plum ; and a similar treatment is advised for the fruit-scab shown 
To esters Ge 


AN 
NN) 
AN 
\y 
y eh 
\ LaF 
Sell} 


it 
i} 


Ss 
SSS 


There are no data for determining the extent of the native plum 
industry, but it is safe to say that itis much more important than 
anyone, except those immediately concerned, has known. Thereare 
large areas of the country in which the common or Domestica 
plums do not succeed, either because of too great cold, too great 
heat or the serious ravages of the shot-hole fungus. In nearly 
all of these areas there are native varieties which succeed. The 


BAtLEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 57 


natives are inferior in size and flavor to the common plums, but 
it must be remembered that the native plum industry is in its in- 
fancy, and that great results should not yet be expected. It is 
rather a matter of wonder that the present results have been at- 
tained with the expenditure of so little effort. The great varia- 
tion in almost every direction in the existing varieties, and the 
fact that they spring from three or four distinct species, augur 
well for the future ; while the facts that they find ready sale in the 
markets* and that many people make their cultivation profitable, 
are encouragements to present effort. 


*« And as for the Wild Goose plum, it is the best we have here. There have 
been shipped from here as many as 600 boxes of this variety in a single day, 
and have sold in the Chicago markets at the enormous price of $2 per one- 
third bushel box, or $6 per bushel.’’—/. Rk. Logan, Duquozin, [ll., in Green’s 
Fruit Grower, July, 1891. Mr. Kerr sold Wild Goose readily in 1889 for 65 
to 80 cents for 1o-lb. baskets ; and in 1891 for 4o to 50 cents. 


58 BULLETINGSS: 


/ 
/ 


Il. THE CHERRIES. if 


I. THE SAND OR DWARF eae ee 13and 14).— 


The dwarf sand cherry has often attre , attention as a merito- 


rious fruit. In 1867, A. S. Futler* pibushed an important ac- 
} ie rf 


i , 


, 


count of it and 
recommended its 
cultivation for 
fruit. In 1889, 
Professor C. E, 
Bessey called the 
attention of the 
American Pom- 
ological Society 
Fic. 13.—Sand Cherry (Prunus pumila). Natural size. to jt as ‘a prom- 
ising new fruit from the plains’’ of Nebraska.} It is only within 
the last two or three years. however, that the sand cherry has 
come into actual cultivation forits fruit, although as an ornamental 
plant it has been sold many years. Professor C. A. Keffer de- 
scribed it last July in a bulletin of the South Dakota Experiment 
Station{, and a little later Professor Green of Minnesota did the 
same.$ Both men have grown it, and have found it to bevariable 
and promising. In South Dakota plants set three years bore 
heavily the second and third years. The ‘‘ fruit begins to ripen 
the first week in August. The cherries on most of the bushes 
were ripe by August 20th, and some few last into September, 


*Small Fruit Culturist, ist Ed. 183. 
tAmer. Pom. Soc. Trans. 1889, 160. 
tBull. 26, S. Dak.-Exp. Sta. Io. 
¢Bull. 18, Minn. Exp. Sta. 127. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 59 


showing a season of from four to six weeks in a seedling planta- 
tion. Classifying roughly according to the fruit, we find yellow 
and black fruited sorts. The yellow fruited sorts, as a class, are 
earlier than the blacks, and of rather better flavor. They are 
greenish yellow when fully ripe, and vary in size, the largest 
being about the size of a medium Early Richmond cherry.’’ ‘The 
fruits vary greatly in flavor, some being entirely worthless, while 
others were acceptable for some culinary purposes. ‘‘ While of 
little value when the quality of the fruit is considered, it would 
seem that these dwarf cherries should give rise to a race especially 
adapted to the northwest. They have withstood all the dry 
weather of the past three years without injury, and they have been 
covered with bloom for two seasons, though unprotected during 
the winter.’’ Professor Green, in Minnesota, has ‘‘fruit varying 
in color from quite light red to almost black, and in form from 
round-oblate to oval. The largest fruit we have is oval with 
three fourths inch and five-eighths inch diameters, while one other 
is round and eleven-sixteenths of an inch in diameter; this is 
nearly as large as the Karly Richmond cherry. The quality varies 
greatly, some being a |. 
mild not disagreeable sub- |\\~ 
acid, others insipid, and |\ \ a 
stillothers very astringent. cee 
When cooked 
it makes a nice sauce. The 
period of ripening varies from July 
24th to August 15th. A peculi- 
arity of the plant is that all the 
fruit on any plant is ripe at nearly 
the same time and can all be 
gathered at one picking...... 
I consider this cherry not only of 
prospective value for its fruit, but 
of immediate value as a hardy 
shrub.’’ I have been familiar with 
the sand cherry for many years, Fie. 14.—Prunus cuneata. Natural size. 
both wild and when transferred to the garden. It is very 
abundant on the sand dunes of Lake Michigan, where it makes a 
shrub from five to ten feet high and bears very profusely of vari- 


60 BULLETIN 38. 


able fruits. Some of these natural varieties are large, sweet and 
palatable and at once suggest an effort to ameliorate them. Pro- 
fessor Budd and others suggest its use as a dwarf stock for cher- 
ries*, while it is found to grow well, for a time, at least, upon the 
peach.t Finally, Charles EK. Pennock of Bellvue, Colorado, is 
introducing the Improved Dwarf Rocky Mountain cherry, a de- 
scription and history of which follow. Iam particularly gratified 
to report this fruit because I remember with great distinctness that 
a ‘‘ Rocky Mountain cherry’’ grew in my father’s yard from my 
earliest boyhood. Pits were brought bya friend from Pike’s 
Peak in an early day. As the western botanies do not mention 
any dwarf cherry, I have always been puzzled over this friend of 
my earlier years.t Mr. Pennock describes his cherry as follows :§ 

‘‘T have never seen a bush more than four feet high. They 
should be planted about eight feet apart, as they grow on 
the ground. The first I ever saw or heard of was in 1878. I was 
making and floating railroad ties down the Cache la Poudré river, 
in the mountains, about eight miles from my present farm. I 
thought at that time they were the most valuable fruit I ever saw 
growing wild. I got a start of these cherries, and have been im- 
proving them by planting seed (pits) of the best fruit. They vary 
somewhat in size, flavor, and season of ripening, and are capable 
of great improvement. I have known only one bush that was not 
good in my experience with it. We have nearly all kinds of fruit, 
but we like the cherry to eat out of hand when fully ripe better 
than any ofitsseason. It ripens a month later than Morello—in 
fact, I picked them off the bushes and exhibited at our county 
fair September 23d, 24th, and 28th, where they attracted a great 
deal of attention. Ihave learned since I have had these cherries 
that other residents of the county had them in their gardens 
more than twenty years ago, and have them yet, so I do not claim 
to be the discoverer of them, but I believe I am the first toimprove 
them and make their value known to the public. They are very 
scarce in their wild state here. There are two kinds of them, one 


*Bull. ro, Ila, Exp, Sta. 425. Bull. 18. Minn. Exp. Sta. 128. Bailey, Nur- 
sery-Book, 159. 

+ Bailey, Country Gent. li. 676 (Sept. 9, 1886.) 

tCoulter’s Manual of Rocky Mt. Botany contains no dwarf cherry. 

zAm. Farm and Hort. Apr. 1892, 14. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 61 


that grows outside the mountains in the foot-hills, and is in every 
way inferior to the one that grows near the bank of the Cache la 
Poudré river. There are not 2,000 of these cherries of mine in 
existence. I could sell wagon loads of these cherries at 10 cents 
per quart. I have kept 200 of the young trees, which I intend to 
send to responsible parties who desire them for testing. The 
young trees I have are one year from seed. I have had them 
loaded down at two years of age from seed. They have never failed 
to bear fruit every year ; late frosts never affect them ; they are en- 
tirely hardy, having endured 4o degrees below zero without injury; 
ripens when all others are gone ; would grace any lawn when in 
blossom ; are easier pitted than other cherries.”’ 

Thus far, all appears to be simple enough; but if we begin to 
enquire into the species of these cherries we find great difficulty, 
for it is plain that two and perhaps even three species are passing 
as Prunus pumila. Propagators have long recognized two well 
marked types of sand or dwarf cherry. The commonest species is 
the one shown, natural size, in Fig. 13. It grows along rivers and 
sandy or rocky coasts, from northern Maine (and probably from 
Newfoundland) to Washington, and perhaps even farther south, 
and ranges westward to the Great Lakes and Manitoba. I do not 
know if it grows on the sea shore, but aside from a specimen from 
Aroostook Co., Maine, I have not seen it from New England. It 
is a prostrate or decumbent shrub, the roughish dark branches as- 
cending in a straggling manner three or four feet, or sometimes 
twice that height. The flowers are rather small, with narrow 
petals. The leaves are Jong and pointed (nearly linear at flower- 
ing time), varying from oblanceolate to nearly obovate-lanceo- 
late, or sometimes lanceolate, rather thick and firm and promi- 
nently veined, especially beneath, terminating usually in a sharp 
point and bearing on the upper half short but sharp teeth which, 
however, are usually smaller than shown in Fig. 13. This 
species is very variable. The form upon Lake Michigan is char- 
acterized by very long and willow-like leaves, and broad-leaved 
forms occur in other places. Nurserymen take advantage of its 
straggling habit by grafting it upon standard stocks for the pur- 
pose of making a weeping tree. It is sometimes sold as Cevaszs 
pumila. A variety variega/a of this weeping tree is catalogued, 
but I have not seen it. The sand cherry is the plant which 


a) 


62 BULLETIN 38. 


Linnezus meant to designate by his Prunus pumila.* It is the 
plant, apparently, which the experiment stations of South Dakota 


* Linnzeus founded the species upon a figure by Miller (t. 89, f. 2) and 
upon a plant cultivated in the Upsala gardens. Miller’s figure, so far as it 
goes, and Linnzeus’ characterization, show that Linnzeus meant to describe 
the prostrate and long-leaved plant which I have above indicated as ?. 
pumila. Linneeus’ herbarium affords no aid, according to the following 
notes upon it, which were recently made by Dr. N. L. Britton, and which he 
has kindly placed at my disposal. The herbarium contains 

‘‘y, A sheet of the eastern plant [pumila], marked by him pumzia. 

*‘2, Another sheet also marked pumzla, but of some other species which 
I did not recognize. 

‘¢3, Another sheet also so marked, but of some still different thing. 

‘‘4. A fourth sheet from Kalm, which is P. Americana, as noted thereon 
by Dr. Gray.” 

The synonymy of the two species is briefly as follows : 

PRUNUS PUMILA, Linn. Mantissa, 75. 

‘‘t4, Pruuus foliis angusto-lanceolatis serrulatis. 

‘‘Cerasus foliis lanceolatis: glabris integerrimis, subtus caesis, ramis 
pattlis.<=Milljiac.t 89). 2. 

‘‘Cerasus canadensis pumila, oblongo-angustoque folio, fructu parvo. 
Hamel. arb. 149, n. 17. 

‘‘ Habitat in Canada. 

‘‘Frutex statura Amygdali nanae. Pedunculi proprii, uniflora, terni 
e gemmnis lateralibus. H. U.”’ 

P. Susquehane, Willdenow, Enum. 519. 

‘“P, pedunculis subsolitariis, foliis obovato-oblongis, subtus glaucis, 
serratis, basi integerrimis. 

‘‘Prunus Susquehanee. Hortulan. 

‘‘Habitat in America boreali. 

‘*Flores imperfectos tantum vidi.”’ 

In his Berlinische Baumzucht, 2d. ed. 306, Willdenow revises his char- 
acter as follows : 

‘‘Prunus Susquehanee floribus umbellatis, foliis obovato-oblongis ob- 
tuse serratis, basi integerrimis, subtus glaucis. 

‘‘Prunus Susquehane pedunculis subsolitariis, foliis obovato oblongis 
subtus glaucis, serratis, basi integerrimis Willd. enum. 519.” 

The German text which follows affords still stronger proof that Willde- 
now meant to designate the plant under consideration. 

P. depressa, Pursh, Fl. 332. 

““Umbels sessile aggregated, few flowered, calyx obtuse: branches 
angled depressed-prostrate ; leaves cuneate-lanceolate, rarely serrate, 
glabrous above, glaucous beneath ; fruit ovate. 

‘¢On the sandy shores of rivers and lakes: Canada to Virginia. vy, y. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 63 


and Minnesota have described, and it is the one which has been 
advised as a dwarf stock for cherries. 

Another and much rarer cuerry is the one shown in Fig. 14, 
and for which I have used Rafinesque’s name Prunus cuneata. 
It grows near lakes and about bogs, mostly in wet or stiff soil, and 
is often found on hills and low mountains. I have seen it from 
New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York 
(Ithaca), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin 
and Minnesota. Itis an erect or even strict shrub with smooth 
light colored branches, growing from two to four feet high. The 
flowers are large with broad petals, and usually stand out 
squarely upon somewhat curved stems. The leaves are short 
and usually d/unt, obovate, spatulate or when full grown some- 
times elliptic-ovate and becoming more or less pointed, thin 
and inconspicuously veined, the teeth few and the points appressed. 


This low shrub which spreads its branches very much, and does not 
rise above one foot from the ground, is known by the name of Sand- 
cherries. The fruit is black, small and agreeably tasted ”’ | 

P. incana, Schweinitz in Long’s Exped. 2, Append. 113. Bailey, Annals 

Hort. 1891, 234. 

Through the kindness of Mr. J. H. Redfield, of the Philadelphia 
Academy of Sciences, I have had the privilege of examining Schwei- 
nitz’s specimens (coll. at Lake of the Woods) and they are unmis- 
takably P. pumtla 

In all these descriptions, the long leaves, prostrate habit and the 
habitat, apply only to the plant under discussion. 

PRUNUS CUNEATA, Rafinesque, Ann. Nat. 11 (1820). 

**83. Prunus cuneata. Shrubby, branches straight, round, biangular, 
leaves cuneate, obtuse, crenate, base entire, glaucous beneath; um- 
bels sessile, commonly quadriflore, calix serrulate, rugose trans- 
versally.—On the mountains of Pennsylvania, probably a Cherry 
shrub, it rises two feet, branches dark purple, leaves and flowers 
small, peduncles short, three to five flowers together, white; it 
blossoms in May.’’ 

The absence of any allusion to long leaves and depressed habit, the ob- 
tuse leaves and the mountain habitat, lead me to venture to use this 
name for the upright dwarf cherry. The leaves of this plant, to be 
sure, are often acute when mature, but at flowering time they are 
conspicuously obtuse, and Rafinesque appears to have had them at 
that stage. 


64 BULLETIN 38: 


This cherry is in cultivation as an ornamental plant under the 
name of Prunus pumila. I do not know that it has been sug- 
gested as a fruit plant. 

Professor Porter, of Easton, Pennsylvania, oneof the mostcritical 
observers of our eastern flora, writes as follows concerning these 
dwarfcherries: ‘‘ We havetwo forms of dwarf cherry very diverse 
in habit. One [?. pumzla] grows on the islands and flats of the Del- 
aware, which are composed of gravel and cobblestone drift washed 
bare by the floods, and are treeless. Here it grows, sending out on 
all sides strong prostrate branches, often as thick as a man’s arm, 
which form flat patches six feet or more in diameter. The 
branches are so close together that they hold the fine sand and 
mud and create low mounds or hillocks, and in the proper season 
the spaces between them are black with the fruit. The other [?. 
cuneata| occurs in southeastern Pennsylvania on the borders of 
swamps and remote from river bottoms. It is strictly erect and 
attains the height of four feet. It isso unlike the type that I have 
been inclined to regard it as a newspecies.’’ On the dunes along 
Lake Michigan Prunus pumila grows more erect than those de- 
scribed by Professor Porter, but they always have a prostrate base 
over which the sand drifts. PP. cuneata grows at Ithaca in a dry- 
ish hill swamp, and it wholly lacks the habit and appearance of 
the common species. 

The third dwarf cherry is the Rocky Mountain plant to which 
I have already referred, and evidently the same as the one which 
Professor Bessey has described from the plains of Nebraska. This 
plant is not mentioned in the Rocky Mountain botanies, although 
there can be no doubt that it is wild in Colorado and Utah. Dr. 
C. C. Parry collected it in eastern Colorado in 1867, and apparent- 
ly the same was found somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, pre- 
sumably in Colorado, in 1888, by S. M. Tracy. A.S. Fuller also 
mentions it in the article to which I have already referred. He. 
obtained the seeds from Utah. As compared with Prunus pu- 
mila, he found this Utah cherry to be ‘‘ more erect, none of the 
branches trailing as in the species.’’ Gipson* speaks of the native 
wild Colorado dwarf cherry as bearing a fruit ‘‘ especially valuable 
for pies and preserves, and is often pleasant to eat from the hand. 


*Horticulture by Irrigation, 62. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 65 


It is wonderfully. productive, and will survive all changes and 
vicissitudes of the most exacting climate.’’ It is interesting to 
find that this plant was collected so long ago as 1839 by Geyer, in 
Nicollet’s famous expedition, being found on ‘‘ arid sandy hillsides 
of the upper Missouri.’’ 

The affinity of this western plant is with Prunus pumila, but 
it differs from that species, and I am inclined to regard it as a dis- 
tinct botanical variety, if not, indeed, a distinct species. Itisa 
low straggling more or less prostrate plant, the tops rising only a 
foot or two in the plains form, the flowers small, the leaves much 
like those of P. pumila except that they are much shorter (1 to 
2 in. long) and spatulate or elliptic when fully grown, the fruit 
large upon short stems. ‘This plant is so little known that I do 
not venture to give it a name. Growing in our garden, it has 
more the aspect and light color of P. cuneata, but its thick and 
pointed leaves appear to distinguish it from that species. It lacks 
entirely the wand-like and willowy character of Prunus pumila; 
but this species is so variable and so little understood that it 
would be unsafe to separate the western plant from it upon our 
present evidence. We are growing this western cherry, as also 
Prunus pumila and P. cuneata, from various sources and shall 
probably soon be able to determine its botanical position. 

The sand or dwarf cherries, therefore, are three, all of which 
are in cultivation: Prunus pumila, the true sand cherry grown 
for fruit and ornament; Prunus cuneata, grown for ornament; the 
sand cherry of the plains and the Rocky Mountains, grown locally 
in Nebraska and now introduced from Colorado as the Improved 
Dwarf Rocky Mountain Cherry. Finally, it may be said that the 
sand plum is a form of the Chickasaw plum as we have already 
found (See p. 29). 

2. ‘‘UTAH Hyprip CHERRY.’’—Under this name there has 
come into cultivation an anomalous fruit, the history and botani- 
cal characters of which I am unable to trace. It is usually re- 
ferred by the nurserymen to Prunus pumila, but the specimens 
which I have seen do not belong to that species. In fact, as 
grown by Mr. Kerr, it is a plum, with a stone very like that of 
the Marianna, and the catalogue cut of the fruit shows a short- 
stemmed and sutured plum. There are two varieties in cultiva- 
tion, the black and red. ‘These are described as follows by the 


66 BULLETIN 38. 


Heikes Nurseries, of Dayton, Ohio, which was one of the first to 
grow them: 

‘“Utah Hybrid Cherry, black.—This is an improved va- 
riety of the Dwarf or Mountain Cherry of Utah. The fruit is 
about one inch in diameter, nearly round; color dark purple, 
with a delicate bloom, juicy, pleasant and sweet ; slightly astring- 
ent if the skin is pressed too closely. The bush is very dwarfish, 
but vigorous and prolific. This fruit has the merit of being 
something entirely distinct from anything cultivated in the way 
of fruits heretofore. ‘The fruit is exceedingly beautiful; the tree 
is hardy enough to withstand the severest winters, and begins to 
bear the first vear after planting. 

‘“ Utah Hybrid Cherry, ved.—This is a dwarf variety, evi- 
dently belonging to the Chickasaw class, and while it has some 
merity as a novelty, itis not nearly equal to the above.”’ 
~ Samuel Miller, of Bluffton, Mo., informs me that he obtained 
the Utah Hybrid Cherry over ten years ago from Nebraska. The © 
Phoenix Nursery Company, of Bloomington, Ill., “‘have been 
propagating it for many years’’ to supply the spontaneous de- 
mand forit, but the Company writes me that it ‘“‘cannot recom- 
mend it’’ and that ‘‘the fruit is rather small, of dark purplish red 
color, and is merely a skin drawn over apit.’’ The plant sold by — 
the Phcenix Company is a slender under-shrub with elliptic- 
lanceolate prominently nerved and pointed leaves which are 
sharply serrate throughout, and which cannot be referred to any 
form of Prunus pumila with which Iam acquainted. ‘The tree 
grown by Mr. Kerr has the half-weeping habit of a Morrello 
cherry, and the leaves are also very like those of the Morello. The 
flowers are borne in short-stalked umbels upon wand-like twigs, 
and they suggest, as do also the leaves, an approach to Prunus 
maritima, the beach plum. ‘The original Utah Hybrid which Mr. 
Kerr planted, he tells me, had fruit about the size of Bassett’s 
American (See No. 94, Part I), but which ripened earlier than 
that plum. The present tree, described above, is a seedling of it, 
but this seeding has larger fruit—as big as a large Napoleon 
cherry—which is later than the Bassett, and the tree is less dwarf. 
He considers the Utah Hybrid an inferior fruit. 


3. PRUNUS SEROTINA, the Wild Black or Rum Cherry. 
This well known cherry, the wood of which is often used for cab- 


BAILEY,—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 67 


inet work and house finishings, is planted for forestry purposes, as 
an ornamental tree and sparingly for its fruit. Infusions of the 
bark are used for medicinal purposes and the fruit is often used in 
the manufacture of cherry brandy or asa flavor to rum. Occa- 
sional trees bear fruit of unusual size and attractiveness. As an 
ornamental plant the Wild Black Cherry possesses decided merits 
in its attractive habit, clean shining foliage, striking white ra- 
cemes and handsome fruit. There are several cultivated varieties : 
pendula, a weeping form, worked standard high ; varzegata, with 
the leaves more or less discolored with yellow ; Golden-Leaf, 
found wild by Jackson Dawson, of the Arnold Arboretum, and 
somewhat disseminated, and probably essentially the same as 
variegata, carthagena, with small short-elliptic or ovate-elliptic 
leaves. Prunus serotina ranges through the eastern and southern 
states as far west as Kansas. 


4. PRUNUS PENNSYLVANICA, the Bird, Wild Red, Pigeon or 
Pin Cherry, is occasionally cultivated for ornament, although it is 
not so well known as its merits deserve. It sprouts badly, a fea- 
ture which no doubt discourages its dissemination. The species 
has been lately recommended as a stock for the common orchard 
cherries.* Professor Budd says that ‘‘ when top-worked or crown- 
grafted with vigorous growing sorts it does not appear to have 
any reserve material to waste in sprouts. We have trees of the 
Early Richmond and Dyehouse in the state which have not shown 
asprout on this stock for twelve years.’’ ‘The union with the orch- 
ard cherries, both sweet and sour, appears to be good as arule, and 
the species certainly possesses promise asacheap and hardy 
stock. ‘The fruit is somestimes used in the preparation of cough 
mixtures. It is generally distributed throughout the northern 
half of the Union from the Atlantic to Colorado. 


5. PRUNUS VIRGINIANA, the Choke Cherry, is cultivated for 
ornament. It is scarcely inferior for that purpose to its Old 
World congener, the true Bird Cherry (Prunus Padus), although 
its flowers are somewhat smaller than in that species, and they are 
also a few days earlier. If grown as a lawn tree where a symmet- 
rical development can be secured, the Choke Cherry, both in 
bloom and in fruit, is an attractive object. Although rarely more 


*Budd, Bull. 10, Ia. Exp. Sta. 425. Bailey; Nursery Book, 159. 


68 | BULLETIN 38. 


than a large tree-like bush, the Choke Cherry is often confounded 
with the Wild Black Cherry, but it is readily distinguished by the 
very sharp small teeth of the leaves. The fruit of the Choke 
Cherry is commonly red, but amber-fruited plants are occasionally 
found. ‘This cherry has been mentioned as worthy of attention 
as a fruit plant, but the fact that none of the racemose cherries 
(those bearing their flowers in long clusters) have given marked 
results in this direction, indicates that efforts towards amelioration 
of the fruit are likely to meet with discouragement. The Choke 
Cherry is generally distributed east of the Rocky Mountains. 

6. PRUNUS DEMISSA, the Western Choke cherry, was intro- 
duced in 1881 as an ornamental plant by Edward Gillett, 
Southwick, Mass. Its merits as a cultivated plant are not yet 
well known. It is much like the Choke Cherry, but more varia- 
ble in stature and apparently in botanical characters. It occurs 
from Nebraska to the Pacific coast, extending the length of Cali- 
fornia and Oregon. 


7. PRUNUS ILICIFOLIA, the ‘‘Islay’’ of southern California 
and western Arizona, was introduced to cultivation last year 
by C. R. Orcutt, of San Diego, California. _It is a pleas- 
ing ornamental plant with holly-like evergreen leaves (whence 
the name z/zcifolia), and a small astringent reddish fruit. In its 
wild state it reaches a height of to or 15 feet. Its merits for cul- 
tivation in eastern lawns are yet to be determined. 


8. PRUNUS CAROLINIANA, the Cherry Laurel, Wild Orange, 
Mock Orange, or Wild Peach of the southern states, is in 
cultivation in the south as a small ornamental tree and as a 
hedge plant. The leaves are long, thick and-glossy, and are ever- 
green. ‘The white flowers are borne in small racemes which are 
shorter than the leaves. The small black fruit soon becomes dry 
and is not edible. The species grows wild along rivers from 
North Carolina to Florida and.’Texas. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 69 


REVIEW. 


Ye VAP MS 


I, The native plum industry dates from the dissemination of 
the Wild Goose some 4o years ago. It is only within the last 
decade, however, that this industry has assumed great import- 
ance, 

2. Five species and one botanical variety of native plums are 
now in cultivation for their fruits. 140 named varieties are de- 
scribed in the preceding pages, very many of which are wild va- 
rieties transferred to cultivation. 

3. Nearly all the commercial varieties belong to three species, 
—Prunus Americana, P. hortulana and P. angustifolia. ‘These 
species grow wild in regions east of the Rocky Mountains. 

4. Prunus Americana grows the farthest north ofany of the native 
plums, and its varieties are the hardiest of any. Thespecies also 
grows as far south as northern Mexico. The range of adaptabil- 
ity of its varieties may therefore be assumed to be very great. The 
species is naturally variable, and is therefore attractive to the 
horticulturist. é 7 

5. The fruit of Prunus Americana is firm and meaty, usually 
somewhat compressed or flattened, often marked by a distinct 
suture, dull in color which ranges through various shades of red 
and purple to an ill-defined and blotched orange. The skin is 
thick and tough, often acerb, and covered with a pruinose bloom. 
'’The ‘stone is large and more or less flattened and winged, and 
is sometimes nearly or quite free, and the surface is either slightly 
pitted or perfectly smooth. 

6. Forty-five varieties are referred to Prunus Americana in the 
preceding lists. The most popular of these are Cheney, Deep 
Creek, De Soto, Forest Garden, Itaska, Louisa, Purple Yosemite, 
Quaker, Rollingstone, Weaver, Wolf. The Americana varieties 
succeed best, on the whole, in the northern states of the Mississip- 
pi valley, as in Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota. Some of them, 
however, are successfully grown in Texas, and on the Atlantic 
slope so far south as 37° or 38°. 

7. Prunus hortulana grows wild in the Mississippi valley 
from northern Illinois to Arkansas, extending eastward into Ken- 


70 BULLETIN 38. 


tucky and Tennessee and possibly farther, and in the southwest 
spreading over a large area of Texas. Itisnaturally variable and 
has given many important cultivated varieties. It has never been 
recognized as a distinct species until this year. There are two or 
three distinct types represented in the species, one of which—the 
Miner group —appears to possess some radical points of difference 
from the typical representatives of the species. 

8. The fruit of Prunus hortulana is firm and juicy, spherical or 
spherical-oblong, never flattened, and in color ranges through 
several shades of bright red to clear pure yellow. ‘The skin is 
thin, often marked with small dots, and is usually covered with a 
thin bloom. ‘The stone always clings ; it is comparatively small, 
rough, turgid, sometimes prolonged at the ends, but is never 
prominently wing margined. 

9. The Wild Goose is the best known of the native plums, al- 
though its quality is not high. This popularity is due to its pro- 
ductiveness, earliness, beauty, good shipping qualities and to the 
circumstance that it was early introduced to cultivation. This 
variety is grown from Iowa, Michigan and New York to Georgia 
and Texas. 

10. The Wild Goose group of plums, as a whole, is well suited 
to the middle latitudes. The most prominent members of the 
group are Golden Beauty, Indian Chief, Missouri Apricot, More- 
man, Wayland and Wild Goose. 

11. The Miner group differs from the Wild Goose or true Hor- 
tulana group by dull and comparatively thick leaves which are 
conspicuously veiny below and irregularly coarsely toothed and 
more or less obovate in outline, and by a rather late and very 
firm fruit and a flat and nearly or quite smooth stone. The va- 
rieties are all much alike.’ Ina wild state, this form of native 
plum probably grows from Illinois to Tennessee and Arkansas. 

12. Ten varieties are referred to the Miner group, of which the 
most prominent is the Miner. ‘This variety was the first native 
plum to receive a name from horticulturists. Its history runs 
back to 1814. Seventy years ago it was known as Old Hickory 
and General Jackson. Next to the Wild Goose, the Miner is the 
best known of the native plums. It is hardy in northern Illinois 
and is popular in the central and some of the southern states. 

13. The Chickasaw plums are characterized by slender, spread- 


a 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. sy 


ing and zigzag growth, comparatively small lanceolate or oblong- 
lanceolate conduplicate (or trough-like) leaves which are shining 
and closely and finely serrate, and by an early red or yellow soft 
stringy fleshed fruit which is more or less dotted, and a clinging 
broad roughish stone. Ina wiid state, the Chickasaw plum is 
usually thorny and the thorns persist in a few cultivated varieties. 
The species grows wild from southern Delaware to Florida and 
westward to Kansas and Texas. 

14. The most important varieties of Chickasaw plums are 
Caddo Chief, Jennie Lucas, Lone Star, Newman, Pottawattamie, 
Robinson and Yellow Transparent. The Newman is the most gen- 
erally known and this is hardy in central New York. The Chick- 
asaws are best adapted to the central and southern states. Many 
of them are not hardy, in Michigan and New York. 

15. The Marianna and. DeCaradeuc constitute a distinct class 
or group of plums, and the Hattie is evidently allied to them. 
They are to be associated with the myrobalan plum. DeCara- 
deuc is probably myrobalan, and Marianna appears to bea hybrid. 
The history of the myrobalan is obscure, but it is clearly of Oid 
World origin. It is largely used as a stock, and there are varie- 
ties grown for fruit. 

16. ‘The Marianna has assumed great importance because of 
its use as a stock for many plums and allied fruits. Its merits are 
the ease with which it grows from cuttings, and the facility with 
which it unites with other species. 

17. The beach plum or Prunus maritima, of the Atlantic 
Coast, is in cultivation both for ornament and for fruit. Asa 
fruit plant it is represented only in Bassett’s American, a fruit of 
little value. 

18. The Pacific wild plum, Prunus subcordata, was introduced 
to cultivation in 1889 as a possible fruit plant, but its merits are 
not yet determined. 

19. Hybrids appear to occur between the Wild Goose and the 
peach. J. W. Kerr, of Maryland, has produced such a hybrid, 
and the so-called Blackman plum appears to be another. 

20. Some varieties of native plums, notably Wild Goose and 
Miner, are not fertile with themselves, and this fact has un- 
doubtedly retarded the progress of native plum culture. ‘This in- 
fertility is due to comparative impotency of pollen upon flowers of 


72 BULLETIN 38. 


the same variety rather than to any structural imperfection in the 
flowers themselves. 

21. This infertility is avoided by mixed planting, by means of 
which foreign pollen is supplied to the impotent varieties. Care 
should be taken to associate varieties which bloom at the same 
time, and with this precaution the ordinary mixed or alternate 
planting, at usual distances, appears to be successful. 

22. The best stocks for native plums are probably seedlings of the 
same species, although they grow well, as a rule, upon related 
species and even upon the peach in some instances. Perhaps the 
most popular stock at present is the Marianna, because of its habit 
of growing readily from cuttings, and so far it appears to have 
given satisfaction. The Chickasaw and Hortulana types succeed 
well upon the peach. Chickasaw stocks sprout so badly that they 
. are in disfavor. In the north, Americana stocks are popular for 
all the varieties which succeed there. 

23. As to the best varieties, there is great difference of opinion. 
In the northernmost states the Americana class is most reliable, 
although some ofthe Hortulanas succeed. For the south the Chick- 
asaws are numerous and popular. ‘The Hortulanas occupy an in- 
termediate position. The merits of particular varieties must be 
gleaned from the tables on page 48 and succeeding pages. 

24. ‘The native plums are in most regions comparatively free 
from insect abuses. Although there are no curculio-proof plums, 
the curculio does less damage to the native varieties than to the 
common or Domestica types. 

25. Among diseases, a mysterious blight and the peach- 
rosette are prominent in the south. A fruit-scab and fruit-spot 
also occur. The septoria or shot-hole fungus—which causes the 
serious shedding of leaves in the Domestica plums—does little 
damage upon the natives. The black-knot, brown fruit-rot and 
plum-pockets are other diseases which the grower will be likely 
to meet. 

26. Asa whole, the native plum industry has made astonish- 
ing progress and it has already assumed large proportions. It is 
certain to occupy a large place in future American horticulture. 


BAILEY.—NATIVE PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 73 


II. CHERRIES. ~ 


27. Hight and perhaps ten species of native cherries are in 
cultivation. Of these, three are grown for fruit, and all but one 
or two are cultivated for ornament. None of the species have 
gained much prominence under cultivation, however. Most of 
them are of comparatively recent introduction. 

28. The so-called dwarf or sand cherries are much confused, 
and two, perhaps three species, are passing as Prunus pumila : 
(a) The true ?. pumila, or sand cherry, is a lowstraggling shrub, 
growing along rivers and coasts from Maine to Pennsylvania and 
Manitoba. It has long thick leaves, and produces cherries of 
variable size, color and quality. Some of these varieties give 
great promise as garden fruits, and they are already under test at 
experiment stations. The plant is also being tested as a stock for 
dwarf cherries. (b) P. cuneafa is aslender upright shrub with 
larger flowers and shorter obtuse spatulate or obovate thin leaves 
growing in cooler lands from New England to North Carolina and 
Minnesota. It isin cultivation as an ornamental plant under the 
name of Prunus pumila. (c) The representative of P. pumila 
upon the plains of Nebraska and in the Rocky mountains is a 
very low plant with short thick leaves and large short-stemmed 
fruit, the botanical position of which.is yet unknown. It is now 
in cultivation as the Improved Dwarf Rocky Mountain Cherry. 

29. The Utah Hybrid Cherry is a fruit of uncertain value and 
doubtful affinity. Two varieties, the black and red, are in culti- 
vation. It probably comes from some part of the western plains 
or the Rocky mountain region, but its wild prototype is not 
known. ; 

30. Othernativecherriesincultivation are: Prunus serotina, the 
Wild Black Cherry ; P. Pennsylvanica;, the Bird, Pin or Wild 
Red Cherry ; ?. Virginiana, the Choke Cherry; ?. demizssa, the 
Western Choke Cherry; P. zictfolia, the Islay of the Pacific 
slope; P. Caroliniana, Cherry-Laurel or Mock Orange of the 
southern States. 

ba BAILEY 


am de , kw 


ae Os ra 
Bulletin 131. ~ March, 1897. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
ITHACA, N.Y. 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 


m eNotes-upon Plums 


FOR WESTERN NEW YORK. 


“ee 


By S. D. WILLARD and L. H. BAILEY, 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


1897. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL, 


President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN. 


Hon. A. D. WHITE, - - - - Trustee of the University. 


Hon. B. F. TRAcy, - - President State Agricultural Society. 
Professor I. P. ROBERTS, . : 


- : - Agriculture. 
Professor G. C. CALDWELL, : - - - - Chemistry. 
Professor JAMES Law, - - - - - Veterinary Science. 
Professor J. H. COMSTOCK, - “ - Entomology. 
Professor L. H. BAILEY, - - - - Horticulture. 


Professor H. H. WING, - - - - Dairy Husbandry. 
Professor G. F. ATKINSON, > - - : Botany. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 
ROBERTS, - : - . - - 


lee: Director. 
BE. L. WILLIAMS, - . - - - - Treasurer. 
KH. A. BUTLER, - - - - - - - Clerk. 
ASSISTANTS. 
M. V. SLINGERLAND, - - - - Entomology. 
G. W. CAVANAUGH,  - - : - - Chemistry. 
L. A. CLINTON, - . - - Agriculture. 
B. M. DUGGAR, - - - Cryptogamic Botany. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
The regular bulletins of the Station are sent free to all who request them. 


BULLETINS OF 1307; 


124. The Pistol-Case-Bearer in western New York. 

125. A Disease of Currant Canes, 

126. The Currant-Stem Girdler and The Raspberry-Cane Maggot. 
127. A Second Account of Sweet Peas. 

128. A Talk about Dahlias. 

129. How to Conduct Field Experiments with Fertilizers. 

130. Potato Culture. 

131. Notes upon Plums, 


CORNELL UNIVERSITY, Ithaca, N. Y., March 20, 1897. 
HONORABLE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, ALBANY. 


Szr :—This paper completes our survey of the stone-fruit 
industries of western New York, and it is submitted as a bulletin 
under the Experiment Station Extension Law. It is unnecessary 
to make any extended discussion of the methods of the tilling and - 
fertilizing of plum orchards, for these general subjects have been 
fully gone over in previous bulletins upon fruit-growing. For 
three years the writer has been studying the plum industry of 
western New York, and he has also had the advantage of two or 
three crops upon the young orchard of the Experiment Station. 
The chief value of the bulletin, however, lies in the account of 
varieties which has been contributed by S. D. Willard, of Geneva; 
and Mr. Willard has also been most generous of suggestions 
upon plum-growing in general, and upon many other subjects, for 
several years. In fact, there is no one fruit-grower in the state 
from whom the writer has learned so much as he has from Mr. 
Willard ; and it is therefore a satisfaction to be able to put on 
record some of the results of his long and profitable experience in 
the growing of plums for market. 

| L. H. Barney. 


The pictures of plums in this bulletin are all life size, unless 


otherwise stated in the legend. 
d 


utagy—"9f 
"Jas Saval qy.sta ‘suinzg apnnlD auray 
weed a VPA OS) 


Ln vie ee 


NOTES UPON PLUMS. 


I. GENERAL REMARKS. 


Of all the important fruits, the common plum has the smallest 
American literature.* The time is perhaps not yet ripe for any 
extended treatise upon the plum, for ina large part of the country 
plum growing is yet in an experimental stage. In western New 
York, the business is reduced to a more definite and established 
basis than elsewhere in the country—unless possibly upon the 
Pacific coast—and a few notes upon this industry may therefore 
serve a useful purpose until a fuller treatise shall appear. 

The types of plums.—The plum industry is very complex, 
because so many distinct species are concerned in the genesis of 
the cultivated varieties. In this state, only the European or 
domestic plums are grown to any extent, except that the Japanese 
types are now attracting much attention; yet it will be worth our 
while to get a broad view of the subject by fixing the general 
basis of the plum industry in our minds. The plums cultivated 
in the United States belong to the following groups :— 

I. Domestica or European types, Prunus domestica. Native to 
western Asia. Comprises the common or old-time plums, 
such as Green Gage, Lombard, Bradshaw, Yellow Egg, 
Damsons, and the like. The leading plums from Lake Mich- 
igan eastward and north of the Ohio, and on the Pacific 
slope. : 

II. The myrobalan or cherry-plum type, Prunus cerasifera. 
Native to southeastern Europe or southwestern Asia. Much 
used for stocks upon which to bud plums, and also the par- 
ent of a few named varieties, like Golden Cherry ; and DeCar- 
adeuc and Marianna are either off shoots of it or hybrids be- 
tween it and one of the native plums. See Bulletin 38. 

III. Japanese types, Prunus triflora. Probably native to China. 
Thetypeseemsto be generally adapted tothe United States, and 


* The only American book I know devoted wholly to the plum is Eliphas 
Cope’s ‘‘Practical Treatise on Plum-Growing,’’ New Lisbon, O., 1888. 16 mo. 


pp- 45. 


170 BULLETIN 131. 


will certainly be of great value to both the south and north. 
See our Bulletins 62 and 106 for full accounts of these plums. 

IV. The Apricot or Simon plum, Prunus Simonit. Native to 
China. Widely disseminated in this country, but little grown 
except, perhaps, in parts of California. See our Bulletin 51. 

V. The Americana types, Prunus Americana. ‘The common 
wild plum of the north, and extending westward to the Rocky 
Mountains and southward to the Gulf and Texas. Admir- 
ably adapted to climates too severe for the domestica plums, 
as the plains and the upper Mississippi valley. See our Bul- 
letin 38 for accounts of all the native plums. 

VI. The Wild Goose or hortulana types, Prunus hortulana. A 
mongrel type of plums, comprising such kinds as Wild 
Goose, Wayland, Moreman, Miner and Golden Beauty. No 
doubt hybrids of the last and the next. 

VII. The Chickasaw types, Prunus angustifolia (or P. Chicasa). 
Native to the Southern states, and there cultivated (from 
southern Delaware southwards) in such varieties as Newman, 
Caddo Chief, and Lone Star. 

VIII. The Sand plum, Prunus Watsont. Nativeto Kansas and 
Nebraska. A bush-like species, little known in cultivation. 
A hybrid of this and the Western Sand Cherry is the Utah 
Hybrid Cherry. See our Bulletin 7o. 

IX. The Beach plum, Prunus maritima. Native to the coast 
from New Brunswick to Virginia. Incultivation represented 
by the unimportant Bassett’s American; also as an orna- 
mental plant. 

X. The Pacific coast plum, Prunus subcordata. Native to Ore- 
gon and California. Sparingly known in cultivation, chiefly 
in the form known as the Sisson plum (var. Kelloggiz). 

With these ten types coming into cultivatlon in the rapidly 
enlarging fruit zones of our immense country, who can forsee 
what the final outcome as to types and varieties may be !* 

The remarks in the present paper are meant to apply only to 
the domestica and Japanese plums, chiefly to the former. In 


*For an historical and philosophical sketch of our plums, see Bailey, ‘“The 
Survival of the Unlike,’’ p. 418. 


Notes Upon PLUMS. 171 


respect to varieties, it is difficult to make any classification of 

those of the domestica stock. Perhaps the best that could be 

done would be to make four loose groups, as follows: 

1. Damsons, comprising very small firm plums of various colors, 
generally borne in clusters, the leaves mostly small. The 
run-wild plums of old roadsides and farmyards are mostly 
of the damson type. (Fig. 46 and title page.) 

2. The green gages, comprising various smallish, green or yel- 
low-green plums of spherical form and mostly of high quality. 
Reine Claude is the commonest representative of this group 
in this State. There seems to be no specific Green Gage 
generally propagated in this country. The name has now 
come to represent a class of plums. 

3. Large yellow plums, such as Coe’s Golden Drop, Washing- 
ton, and the like. 

4. Large colored plums, including the various red, blue and 
purple varieties, like the blue prunes, Lombard, Bradshaw, 
Quackenboss, etc. 

In respect to hardiness of the different types of plums, it may 
be said that at Cornell the Japanese and domestica varieties are 
about equally resistant to cold. Neither of them bore fruit last 
year, but the winter of 1895-6 was one of very unusual severity. 
The Americana types are very hardy. Fig. 37 shows sprigs of 
the three types taken at blossoming time in 1896. The upper 
shoot is Abundance (Japanese), the middle one Jefferson (domes- 
tica), and the lowest one Quaker (Americana). In the two first, 
the fruit-spurs were entirely killed. Although the Americanas 
are so very hardy, we do not recommend them for market culti- 
vation in western New York because they are inferior to the 
domesticas and the years are very seldom in which the domes- 
ticas are injured seriously by cold. 

The leading type of plum for western New York will no doubt 
always be the domesticas. The Japanese varieties are important 
‘because they add variety to the list, and especially because they 
are rich in very early kinds and the fruit is so firm that it carries 
well ; aside from this, the trees are vigorous and very productive, 
and they are less liable to the attacks of the black-knot and the 
_shot-hole fungus than the domesticas are. 


172 : BULLETIN 131. 


The plum orchard.—Coming now to the general question of 
plum growing, it may be said that the plum is emphatically a 
special fruit; that is, it is one which does not have a regular 
standing in the market as pears, apples or even peaches have, 
but is more or less dependent for its sale upon the general supply 
of other fruits. In other words, it is a fruit of secondary import- 


37-—A condition, not a theory. Showing how the winter of 1895-6 used up 
the fruit-spurs of Japanese and domestica plums, but did not injure 
the Americanas. 


ance, so far as the market is concerned. This being the case, it 
will readily be seen that it is not a difficult matter to overplant 
for the plum market. In western New York, the industry has 
been developed to a very important extent, but the production of 
fruit has probably not yet reached its zenith. Many of the 
orchards have been planted with no particular forethought, but 


NoTEs UPON PLUMS. 173 


largely because some one else had done well with his plantation. 
It would be easy to figure up the prospective crops from the plum 
trees which are now growing in western New York and to see 
that the product would very likely over-stock the market. But 
it must be remembered that probably not more than half of these 
trees will ever produce full crops of fruit. The same remark will 
apply.to any kind of fruit which is set in large quantities. The 
success of fruit-growing is so intimately connected with the 
thoroughness, care and business ability of the grower himself, 
that one can never prophesy what the results of any fruit industry 
are likely to be. In every fruit business there are likely to be a 
great many failures, from the commercial standpoint, and 
only a few pronounced successes. 

The plum thrives upon a variety of soils, but it generally does 
best when planted upon clay loam. It usually thrives best upon 
lands which are suited to pears, or upon the heavier lands which 
are adapted to apples. Yet there are many varieties which thrive 
well upon lands which are comparatively light and sometimes 
almost sandy. 

The stocks upon which plums are grown are very various. By 
far the greater number of the trees in the north are now grown 
upon the myrobalan stock, which is a species of rather 
slow-growing plum, native to southeastern Europe and south- 
western Asia. This is thestock which is sometimes recommended 
in the older fruit books for the making of dwarf trees ; but unless 
the top is kept well headed in, the trees generally make normal 
growth upon it. Trees grown upon this root are usually larger 
and finer at one or two years of age than those grown upon other 
plum stocks, and the probability is that they are nearly as useful 
from the grower’s standpoint as any other. However, there are 
some varieties which overgrow the myrobalan, and the stock is 
very likely to sprout from the ground and thereby cause trouble. 
I am convinced that the most ideal stock, from the standpoint of 
the grower, is the domestica plum itself, but it is more difficult to 
secure seeds of it, the stock is more variable and it is more likely 
to be injured in the nursery row by the leaf fungi; therefore, as 
a matter of practice, the myrobalan has very generally supplanted 
it. Inthe southern states the peach is largely used as a stock 


174 we BULLETIN 131. 


upon which to grow plums and it seems to be gaining favor in the 
north. It is undoubtedly a very excellent stock for sandy lands, 
and, in fact, is probably more preferable for such lands than the 
myrobalan itself. Some varieties—of which the Lombard and 
French Damson are examples—do not take well upon the peach. 
The Japanese plums are commonly worked upon the peach stock 
and they seem to make an excellent union with it and to give 
every promise of being hardy anddurable. The Marianna stock, 
which is much recommended in the south, has not found great 
favor in New York. 

Many of the varieties of plums are such slow and crooked grow- 
ers in the nurseries that it is advisable to graft them or bud them 
upon some strong and straight stock. The Lombard is no doubt 
the best stock for this purpose which is now grown by nursery- 
men. The old Union Purple is one of the very best of stocks, 
but it is not grown much at the present time. All such varieties 
as Reine Claude, German Prune, Copper, etc., are probably best 
when top-worked upon some such stock. 

Plum trees are usually planted when two years old from the 
bud, although some of the strong-growing kinds may be planted 
ata year old with the very best results. Asa rule, plum trees 
are planted about as far apart as peaches are, that is, from 15 to 
18 feet apart each way. Many growers prefer to plant them 
closer one way than the other and eventually to stop cultivation 
in one direction. If this system is used, they may be placed 18 
or 20 feet apart one way, and from roto 12 feet the other way. 
The trees are pruned in essentially the same way that apple trees 
are, when planted. It is generally advisable to start tops as low 
as possible and yet allow of the working of the curculio catcher 
below them. ‘This means that the limbs should start out from 
three or four feet above the ground. With the modern imple- 
ments and methods of tillage, there is no inconvenience in work- 
ing the land if tops are started as low as this. 

The subsequent pruning of the plum tree has no special difficul- 
ties. About four or five main limbs are allowed to form the 
framework of the top, and in most varieties, especially those 
which are not very tall growers, the central trunk or leader may 
be allowed to remain. There is constant demand for information 


NoTEs UPON PLUMS. 175 


as to whether young trees should be headed-in. ‘There can be no 
positive answer to this question. If the trees are growing very 
vigorously, so that they become too tall and whip-like, it is best 
to head them in; but it must be remembered that this redundant 
growth commonly ceases and the tree begins to spread when the 
bearing time arrives. If trees are making too vigorous growth, 
the real corrective of the difficulty is to stop the growth by with- 
holding fertilizers or cultivation rather than by heading-in the 
tree. Vigorous heading-in only makes the growth the stronger. 
All this isa very different matter from the customary heading-in 
of old trees. Some growers prefer to let a plum tree take its 
natural open, spreading growth, whilst others desire to keep it 
sheared in to allow the trees to be planted closer together and to 
keep the fruit nearer the center of the tree. This is very largely 
a matter of personal preference and there are probably no very 
decided advantages in either system when it is carried out system- 
atically and conscientiously. For myself, I believe that the 
heading-in of plum trees is practiced to too great an extent in 
western New York, but I should by no means be dogmatic in 
this opinion. It should be said that the plum tree will need 
pretty careful attention from year to year to keep the top in shape, 
to cut out and paint over all injured places and in other ways to 
protect the tree from accidents and from injuries of storm and 
insects. 

In common with all fruits, the plum demands good tillage and 
liberal feeding if satisfactory results are to be obtained. The 
extended remarks upon the tilling and fertilizing of fruit lands 
which are made in our Bulletins 72, 102, 103, and also in 119 and 
120, apply with full emphasis to the plum. Well-tilled trees 
should begin to bear when three years set, and, at eight and ten 
years of age, the prolific varieties should be bearing three bushels 
of first quality fruit in every good year. 

Inseéis and diseases.—In respect to insects and diseases of the 
plum, it will not be necessary to say much upon this occasion. 
The black-knot is fully treated in our Bulletin 81. It is only’ 
necessary to say in passing that the knot is best kept in check by 
systematically cutting it out whenever it is seen. At all events, 
the grower should go over his orchard for it in the summer time 


176 BULLETIN 131, 


and again as soon as the leaves are off in the fall. If trees are 
thoroughly sprayed every year with Bordeaux mixture for the 
leaf-blight fungus, the black-knot will make comparatively few 
inroads into the orchard. 

The blight which causes the leaves to fall in August or Septem- 
ber is one of the most serious diseases of the plum orchard; but 
the disease can readily be kept in check by thorough spraying 
with Bordeaux mixture two or three times during the summer. 
We have found, at Ithaca 
that we can hold the leaves 
on until frost by sprayings 
which have begun about 
two weeks after the blos- 
soms fall, and repeated two 
or three times during the 
season. A somewhat full 
account of these experi- 
ments will be found in our 
Bulletin 86. 

The fruit-rot is another 
serious difficulty of the 
plum. This is the work of 
afungus. Many times the 
dead and dried fruit may be 
seen hanging upon the tree 
all winter, as shown in Fig. 
2 1) 38; andin such cases itis 
38.—Frutt-rot of the plum. The upper very likely that the fruit- 

spur ts dead, probably killed by the spur will be killed as the up- 

fungus. ; : 

per one in the picture has 

been. In handling this disease, the first consideration is the fact 
that some varieties are much more susceptible to it than others 
are. ‘The Lombard is one of the very worst. Again, if the fruit 
grows in dense clusters, the disease is more apt to be severe. 
The thinning of the fruit, therefore, is one of the very best preven- 
tives of the spread of the disease and at the same time, also, one 
of the most efficient means of increasing the size, quality and sala- 
bleness of the product. It may, therefore, be expected to pay in 


NotTEes UPON PLUMS. 177 


two directions. The specific treatment for the disease is to spray 
with Bordeaux mixture, applied in about the same manner as for 
the leaf-blight fungus. The treatment of this disease is more 
specifically explained in our Bulletin 86. 

The recent incursion of the plum scale in western New York, 
which has created so much alarm, is fully treated in our Bulletin 
83. This insect, although formidable, may be kept in check 
almost completely by thorough sprayings with strong kerosene 
emulsion in the winter time. ees n= 

There still remains the curculio, or the insect which is the par- 
ent of the worms in the fruit. A full report upon this insect may 
be expected at afuture time. It is enough for the present pur- 
pose to say that the mature beetle lays the eggsin the fruits when 
they are very small, usually beginning its work about as soon as 
the flowers fall. These eggs soon hatch and the little maggot 
bores into the fruit. Those fruits which are attacked whilst very 
young ordinarily fall from the tree, but those which are attacked 
when they are half or more grown may adhere to the tree but 
are wormy and gummy at the picking time. The mature beetles 
are sluggish in the mornings and are easily jarred from the trees. 
Taking advantage of this fact, the fruit grower may jar thein into 
sheets or a large canvas hopper which is wheeled from tree to 
tree upon a wheelbarrow-like frame and under the apex of which 
is a tin can into which the insects roll. One of these hopper 
machines is seenin Fig. 39. There is a slit or opening in one side 
of the hopper which allows the tree to stand nearly in the middle 
of the canvas. ‘The operator then gives the tree two or three 
sharp jars with a padded pole or mallet. The edges of the hop- 
per are then quickly shaken with the hands and the insects roll 
down into the tin receptacle. In this receptacle there is kerosene 
oil, or it may be emptied from time to time. Just how long this 
machine is to be run in the orchard will depend entirely upon cir- 
cumstances. It is advisable to use the catcher soon after the 
blossoms fall for the purpose of finding out how abundant the 
insects are. If a few insects are caught upon each tree, there is 
indication that there are enough of the pests to make serious 
trouble. If after a few days the insects seem to have disappeared, 


178 BULLETIN 131. 


it will not be necessary to continue the hunt. In some years, 
especially in those succeeding a very heavy crop, it may be neces- 
sary to run the curculio-catcher every morning for four or five 
weeks; but, as arule, it will not be necessary to use it oftener 
than two or three times a week during that season; and some- 
times the season may be shortened by one-half. ‘The insects fall 
most readily when the weather is cool and it is, therefore, best to 


—. = =~ 


39 —The Geneva type of curculio-catcher. 


get through the whole orchard, if possible, before noon. Upon 
cloudy days, however, the insects may be caught all day. 
Although this may seem to be a laborious and expensive opera- 
tion, it really is not so. A smart man can attend to 300 to 400 
full-bearing trees in six hours, if the ground has been well rolled 
or firmed as it should be before the bugging operation begins. 
But whether the operation is troublesome or not, it is the price of 
plums and the grower must not expect to long succeed without 
it. The same treatment is essential to the saving of peaches and 
rarely, also, of sour cherries. 


Notes Upon Pius. 179 


Varieties. —The most popular variety of the plum, and also one 
of the poorest, is the Lombard. Its redeeming merits are its 
great productiveness and the vigor and hardiness of the tree. The 
fruit is of only fair quality, it comes at a season when the market 
is full of plums and other fruits, it is very susceptible to the leaf- 
blight fungus and the fruit-rot, and its color is not of the best. 
The very fact that it is the commonest and cheapest plum would 
seem to indicate that it is not the best variety from which to 
make the greatest commercial success. Iam convinced that the 
Lombard has been greatly overplanted; yet, I know of many 
orchards of it which are very successful commercially. In west- 
ern New York the best markets are likely to be found for the 
early and late plums, and for those which have very pronounced 
colors, especially those which are dark red or purple. Some of 
the dark yellows are also very excellent for market fruits. Fruits 
of nondescript colors, like those which border on the ill-defined 
reds, the browns and the lemon yellows, are usually not profitable. 
There is some exception to all this in the case of the Reine 
Claude, which is a yellowish-green plum; but its great merit as 
a culinary variety and its established reputation save it from the 
general condemnation of plums of that class. There is also an 
exception in the small Damson plums which are highly esteemed 
in some markets, especially in Boston, for culinary purposes. 

It would be impossible to give any list of varieties which would 
be adapted to any particular orchard. The question of varieties 
is very largely a personal one. Very much depends upon what 
ideal the grower has in his mind, and also upon his soil and loca- 
tion and the like. Amongst the plums which can be most 
confidently recommended for market in western New York are 
the following: Field, Bradshaw, Coe’s Golden Drop, Hudson 
River Purple Egg, Italian Prune, Empire, Grand Duke, Arch 
Duke, Monarch, Gueli, Peter's Yellow Gage, Reine Claude and 
Copper. Amongst the Damsons, the French and the Farleigh 
are perhaps the best. Of the Japanese plums, the only ones 
which I wouldcare to recommend for profit in western New York 
at present are the Red June, Abundance, Burbank and Chase. 
The Red June promises to be the best very early market plum for 
this region which I know. So far as known, the domestica and 
Japanese plums are self-fertile, but it is always the safest course 
to plant varieties in alternate rows. 


180 BULLETIN 131. 


Il. VARIETIES OF PLUMS IN WESTERN NEw YorK. 


By S. D. Willard. 


An experience of a quarter of a century in cultivating the plum 
has afforded convincing proof that, upon my soil at least, this 
fruit is like many others in the fact that the list of varieties 
adapted to profitable orchard production is limited in number. 
Some are tender in the wood, others defective in their foliage,* 
others maturing at the wrong period or possessed of other weak 
points that render them unfit to be grown in the commercial 
orchard of western New York. It will readily be seen that the 
result of my experience, as demonstrated in testing the various 
sorts of plums, has been with reference to the one idea of profit. 
Believeing that the descriptions contained in our fruit works and 
nursery catalogues,—the latter being in the main copied from 
writings regarded as authority on these subjects, —are oftentimes 
misleading to the planter and are followed by ventures that are 
alike unsatisfactory and unprofitable, I have taken pains to make 
descriptions directly from life. All enjoy the delicious quality of 
a favorite product, but how often the question is lost sight of, as 
to whether it can be grown in quantity and ata price that will 
enable us to supply it to others at a profit over and above the 
cost of production ! 

Soil and surroundings have their influence upon the health, 
vigor and productiveness of a variety; hence it is frequently found 
that a fruit may be a failure on one soil and a success elsewhere. 
This feature has been very marked in the cultivation of the 
strawberry, and it is likewise true of the plum. Careful observa- 
tion has led me to believe that any tree which has an inherent 
weakness, either in foliage or wood, is to be looked upon with 
suspicion when considered as an orchard sort for the average 


* Mr. Willard prefers to grow varieties which are not subject to the leaf- 
blight fungus, rather than spray for the disease. He has given particular 
attention to the choosing of resistant varieties, and this will account for his 
condemnation of certain varieties which are otherwise desirable. A tree 
which is seriously attacked by the leaf-blight is very likely to be injured by 
the succeeding winter.—L,. H. B. 


40.—Various types of plums. JI., French Damson (two fruits); I1., Quackenboss ; III., Hudson River Purple Egg (two fruits), 
LV., Grand Duke (two Sruits); V., Monarch; VI., Diamond, 


182 BULLETIN 131. 


planter. Being desirous of securing the largest line of varieties 
that might be of value, a selection was made from foreign cata- 
logues of sorts highly commended, and these have been tested 
with results which, as will be seen, are not entirely satisfactory, 
as but few out of the entire number have made a record that would 
watrant their cultivation on any extended scale. 

In the subjoined list, nineteen foreign varieties which I have 
thoroughly tested from direct importations are marked with an 
asterisk (*). 

* Arch Duke,—A large, dark colored, very prolific plum, ripening abont 
the 25th of September at Geneva and often hanging much later ; flesh hard 
and a good shipper, hence an excellent late market variety for the orchardist 
and should be more largely planted. I bespeak for this variety future popu- 
larity. Originated by Thomas Rivers, Sawbridgeworth, England. See Grand 
Duke. 

Baker Prune.—Origin, Collingwood, Canada. We obtained this variety 
several years since and from observing it as top-grafted in our orchard are 
much pleased with its habits of growth. It seems to have been grown many 
years where it originated and is said to be hardy and prolific. Fruit resem- 
bles the Italian Prune in color and quality, perhaps a trifle smaller and about 
two weeks later in ripening. Should its good characteristics be maintained 
upon further trial, I should regard it as the best of prunes for the com- 
mercial orchard. ; 

* Biltern.—Another plum highly commended abroad for its excellence in 
quality and great productiveness, traits which were fully confirmed during 
the short period of existence of the trees after they began to make a crop, 
but they lacked the robust character required to maintain themselves, and, 
like their companions, found their way to the brush heap after setting their 
third crop. 

Bradshaw (Niagara).—A variety now very well known in all the plum- 
growing regions of the United States. Unsurpassed for beauty and produc- 
tiveness as well as great hardiness of tree, with a foliage so perfect as to con- 
tribute in an essential degree to its health. During the period of twenty-two 
years in which I have fruited this variety, I have never known it to cast its 
foliage prematurely ; hence, the oldest trees are apparently as healthy as 
though they had never borne a crop of fruit. Fruit large, oval, often with a 
slight neck ; skin reddish purple ; flesh yellow, rather coarse but juicy and 
good ; ripening from tenth to twentieth of August at Geneva. Its beauty as 
a market sort is unsurpassed and were its period of ripening in the month 
of July or past the middle of September might be regarded as one of the 
most desirable of all plums for the commercial orchard. It has been 
planted very extensively, and it is a question whether there are not enough 
now growing to meet the demands of the city fruit stands for years to come, 
as it cannot be regarded as a desirable sort for peserving purposes. 


NoTEs UPON PLUMS. 183 


Canada Orleans.—A very productive variety of medium size obtained at 
Hamilton, Ontario. Skin light green to yellow shaded to light purple in 
the sun ; quality good ; ripening August 15th to 20th. Tree hardy, bearing 
good crops alternate years. Of no special value to the market grower. 


Coe’s Golden Drop.—Of English origin. Fruit large, oval or short egg- 
shape; skin light yellow ; flesh rich and quality excellent when well rip- 
ened ; requires a quick soil and favorable season to ripen it well. Tree slow, 
poor grower but very hardy; has produced best with me when top-worked 
on other strong growing sorts. In unfavorable seasons has shown inclina- 
tion torot, but it may be regarded as one of the good yellow plums. This 
plum, or something exceedingly like it, has been sent out on the Pacific 
Coast as a prune. 

Coe’s Late Red.—An English variety. Fruit medium size; skin light 
purplish red ; flesh yellow; very firm and excellent for preserving or ship- 
ping ; productive and late, ripening in October and frequently hanging well 
into November. The late John J. Thomas once said to me, if he conld have 
only one variety of plum, this would be his choice because of its lateness 
and value for culinary purposes. Asa tree, its growing habits are unsatis- 
factory, and, therefore, it will never be popular with nurserymen. It will 
do best top-worked on vigorous growing sorts. 


Copper (French).—A late plum,very productive and profitable, ripening last 
of September, frequently hanging into October ; fruit medium, dark copper 
color and valuable for preserving. Tree a poor grower; hence, can rarely 
be found in hands of nurserymen. It should be worked on some strong 
growing sort. A fine shipper and usually sells at good prices. [Fruit globu- 
lar, copper-purple with thin bloom. Valuable because of extreme lateness. 
—L. H. B. | 

Cruger’s Scarlet.—A variety that several years since was grown largely in 
the vicinity of Geneva. The name indicates the color, which makes it attrac- 
tive when grown exposed to the sun, but the size and quality being against 
it both for market and family use, it has been supplanted by others of more 
value. 

* Curlew.—An enormous bearer of attractive large, deep blue fruit, ripen- 
ing just before the middle of August ; but the foliage drops early, preventing 
at times a fair maturity of the crop and unfitting the tree to wfthstand the 
severity of our winters. 

* Czar.—Origin, England. A large, early, purple plum, rich and good ; 
ripening about July 25th; very productive. Defective in foliage; though 
fine in quality of fruit, itis of no value. Its extreme earliness would make 
it valuable were it more hardy. 

* Diamond (Fig. 40, VI.).—Large, dark purple, with a beautiful bloom which 
renders it very attractive in appearance and sought for on the markets. Tree 
very productive, hardy and one of the best of English introductions, and, 
in my opinion, when better known, will be highly regarded as an orchard 
variety. 


184 


4t.— Empire plum. 


BULLETIN 131. 


Duane’s Purple.—¥ruit very large, 
oblong; skin reddish purple; flesh 
yellowish, juicy and sweet, quality 
good; desirable for the garden or 
home use, but ripens with too many 
others to have market value, being at 
its best between 8th and 15th of 
August here. This is one of the old 
varieties that is rarely heard of to-day. 

* arly Rivers.—Of English origin. 
Medium size, oval; purple ; rich and 
juicy; perfect free stone; ripening 
last of July. Very productive, but 
the tree has been very tender and for 
this reason has been discarded, and I 
believe would be of no value to anyone. 

Empire (Fig. 41).—Originated in 
Cortland county, in this state, and at 
one time sent out under the name of 
the Rood plum. Oval ; color dark pur- 
ple; large ; quality good ; tree hardy, 
productive and vigorous. Fruit ripen- 
ing about September 5th to 1oth. A 
variety that may become a popular 
orchard sort. See Shipper’s Pride. 

* Farleigh Damson.—¥ruit dark 
purple, a little smaller than Shrop- 
shire (which see ), intensely productive 
and one of the most hardy of ail plums 
in bud and wood. It is valuable as an 
orchard tree and when better known 
will be in demand. 

Field.—A seedling of Bradshaw ; 
ripening ten days earlier, of same large 
size and color, except that it is darker 
and not so attractive. The fact, how- 
ever, that it comes upon the market 
earlier adds toits value. It originated 
in Schoharie County, New York. It 
has an excellent foliage and ripens an 
extremely hard bone-like wood well 
calculated to withstand injury from 
severe cold. It sets a heavy crop in 
alternate years. 

* French Damson (Fig. 41, I.).—One 
of the largest of the Damson family. 


NotTEsS UPON PLUMS. 


Dark copper color, ripening about 
September 7th, and carries a foliage 
so perfect as to insure complete ripen- 
ing of its wood. A very valuable mar- 
ket variety which is but little grown. 

General HHand.—Fruit large ; skin 
deep yellow when ripe; rather coarse, 
and not sufficiently productive to be 
regarded with favor by the orchardist. 
It ripens early in September, but trees 
of large size,—fifteen to twenty years 
of age,—have never produced sufficient 
to pay for the use of the ground they 
occupy and have recently been grafted 
over to more valuable sorts. 

German Prune (Fig. 43).—So many 
plums are in cultivation under this 
name that it seems difficult to fix the 
title. I have no less than six, all dif- 
fering more or less in habit of growth, 
and yet the fruit deserves the name 
of a German Prune. These varieties 
have been obtained from parties in dif- 
ferent sections, each claiming his as 
the best. Fruit long and oval, apt to 
be swollen on one side; skin purple 
with a fine bloom ; ripens from Septem- 
ber Ist to 12th. This prune is valuable 
for a marked sort or for home use and 
sells at outside prices. Asa rule, the 
trees are poor growers and rarely afford 
satisfaction to those who desire to se- 
cure the growing habits of the Lom- 
bard in all of the plum family. See 
Italian Prune and Weedsport 'Prune. 

Giant Prune.—One of the new pro- 
ductions of Luther Burbank, of Santa 
Rosa, California, to whom I am in- 
debted for the satisfaction of having 
fruited it from buds sent me a few years 
since. Ihave found it fully equal in 
size and quality to specimens grown 
on the Pacific Coast. It may be classed 
as very large, oval, dark purple plum 
Pereseeent quality. The tree, as 
grown top-worked upon Lombard, 
seems to be of good growing habit. 


42.—Shipper’s Pride. 


186 BULLETIN 131. 


*Grand Duke (Fig. 40, IV.).—Originated and sent out in England by 
same party that sent out Arch Duke and Monarch. Mr. Thomas Rivers has 
furnished to the world these three of the largest and most beautiful late 
plums of recent introduction. The Grand Duke is a very large purple plum, 
so attractive inits appearance as to bea fine market sort and apparantly well 
adapted for general cultivation over a wide area. Unfortunately, the trees 
not a strong grower and makes surface slowly on which to spread a crop of 
fruit. When top-grafted 
upon the Lombard, it grows 
with more vigor and fruits 
heavily, but buyers of or- 
chard trees desire only 
strong growers, hence this 
this variety will come to 


43.— The normal or predominant type of German Prune. 


the front slowly. It ripens from Sept. 15th to 20th at Geneva, and can 
be classed as belonging tothe late-ripening sorts. 


Green Gage.—The standard of excellence in the opinion of many. Fruit 
round ; small; skin green; flesh pale green, melting and juicy, parting 
freely from the stone. Tree an abundant bearer, but so dwarfish in its 
habits of growth that no nurseryman will attempt its propagation ; hence, 
but little is known of it at the present day. Indeed, the variety is practically 
obsolete. It ripens about the middle of August. A fine sort to be found in 


Norges Upon PLUMS. 187 


a list for home purposes and can be best grown by top working upon Lom- 
bard or some strong growing variety. <A historic plum, of Old World origin. 

Gue1i.—Fruit large, oval; skin dark purple, covered with a thick bloom. 
Tree very hardy and productive; strong grower; quality fair, chiefly 
valuable for culinary purposes, ripens about August 25th, ora little too early 
for the market orchard. It had its origin at Lansingburg, N. Y. I had the 
honor of introducing this variety at Geneva, having obtained the buds at 
Athens, N. Y., about twenty-two years since. [Fruit pointed or conical, 
—L. H. B.] 

* Heron.—Fruit large, light-purple and red; a free-stone of fine quality, 
ripening early in August. A good producer, but the foliage has shown a 
weakness that seemingly unfits it as an orchard variety for our latitude. 

Hudson River Purple Egg (Fig. 40, I11.).—A variety, as the name indi- 
cates, having its origin on the Hudson River. Fruit long and oval, dark 
purple, ripening Sept. 1 to 10; good producer only when the tree has age, 
and the most vigorous of all plums as a grower. It requires an annual cut- 
ting-in of the young growth to keep it within bounds until heavy fruiting 
checks the growth. One of the most valuable of its season as a market sort, 
but inclined to suffer from the depredations of the black-knot in seasons 
favorable for the development of the disease. Its productiveness is greatly 
increased by working on other sorts. 

* Ickworth Imperatrice.—A roundish-oval, purple, medium sized, rich, 
juicy plum, and when well ripened most excellent for eating. Sets fruit 
rather scattering and will hang a long time on the tree. Rather slow 
grower, but very hardy. It is doubtful whether it will become a popular 
market sort, but holding well into October makes it desirable. 

Imperial Gage.—Origin, Flushing, Long Island. Fruit medium to large, 
oval, green, inclined to yellow when ripe, rich and juicy, excellent in qual- 
ity and of deserved popularity in a general collection ; has not proved a 
valuable market variety with me; and as the demand for it is becoming less 
annually, it is fair to presume that the experience of others is the same as my 
own in regard to its value in the commercial orchard. 


Imperial Ottoman.—A very early ripening variety of excellence, but little 
known. Fruit medium in size; round; skin dull yellow ; flesh juicy, sweet 
and good, ‘Tree hardy and very productive. Fruit ripens last of July, and 
should be more generally known. Ripening early, it sells readily in the 
markets and a.few trees that we have fruited for fifteen years have been a 
good investment ; and yet we doubt whether a single tree could be found 
growing in anursery in the state. 


Italian Prune, or Kellenberg (Fig. 44).—One of the best of the prune 
family. Fruit large, oval; skin dark blue with fine bloom; fine to eat from 
the hand or for preserving and sells at highest price in market ; often hang- 
ing into late September. [Tree a round-headed grower, with well-marked 
foliage. Fruit long and blunt-pointed, unequal-sided, blue with a very dense 
bloom, a third larger than most of the strains which are grown under the 


188 BULLETIN I3I. * 


name of German Prune. “In western New York it ripens in mid-September. 
Much prized by commercial plum growers.—l,. H. B. 

Jefferson.—One of the choice table plums; large ; skin yellow; excellent 
in quality but lacking the essentials demanded as a market sort; hence, is 
not in demand and will soon be unknown. Ripens a little later than 
Washington (which see. ) 

* Late Transparent.—Fruit large ; round ; greenish yellow changing to pur- 
ple according to sun exposure; flesh firm and juicy, nearly equal to Green 
small, Tree dwarfish 
but failing to make a 
would commend itself to 
anyone, and the time of 
M ripening being with 
Lombard, when the mar- 
Wa ket is usually over- 
stocked with 
a great vari- 


Gage in flavor; pit very 
and an abundant bearer, 
tree in the nursery that 


SS 
ant 


ON 


——— 


it has been voted as being of too little value for general culture and is 
dropped from our list: 2 

Lombard.—Originated in the eastern part of this state. Tree one of the 
most vigorous of the plum family and perhaps more generally known than 
any other. Skin dark red, often green in the shade. It is inclined to over- 
production ; hence, rarely makes a crop except in alternate years. To get 
best results, fruit should be thinned out one-half. Its period of ripening 
—mmiddle to last of August—is such as to bring it in competition with other 
fruits, when it sells at low prices. Quality good when well ripened, but 
chiefly in demand by the canning factories as a low-priced plum. 


NotTES UPON PLUMS. 189 


McLaughlin.—A variety originating in Maine and disseminated by a 
party whose name it bears. Fruit medium to large; nearly round and 
fiattened at both ends; skin tender, yellow and apt to be red in the sun; 
flesh firm, sweet and when perfectly matured excellent ; ripening last of 
August.. Tree hardy and productive. A desirable sort to be grown in a 
small way in a home collection, but for some reason choice fruit of this 
variety has met with no favor upon markets where I have placed it ; hence, 
I cannot commend it to the commercial orchardist. Its period of ripening 
may be one reason of its lack of popularity. At one time I had in fruiting a 
large number of trees, many of which have been top-worked over to varie- 
ties of greater value. [See history and picture of this variety in American 
Gardening, May, 1893, p. 299, by Professor W. M. Munson.—t, H. B. | 

* Mallard.—Fruit large; deep purple; flesh very rich and juicy ; free- 
stone ; tree fairly productive. Season about middle of August, but the tree 
lacks the vigor required to withstand our trying climate; and while it 
might be looked upon with favor in a collection of an amateur by reason of 
its quality, to the commercial orchardist it would have no value. English. 

Middleburg.—A plum of recent introduction from Schoharie County, N. 
Y. ‘Tree very rugged, setting a full crop in alternate years of large, fine 
fruit that ripens late in September, often holding well into October. Skin 
yellow shaded with lilac and purple. Its attractive color and late ripening 
make it a valuable market sort, particularly on account of itshardiness. Its 
defect is a foliage that is inclined to drop in unfavorable seasons. 

* Monarch (Fig. 40, V.).—Fruit very large; roundish oval; dark pur- 
plish blue ; perfect free-stone. Tree robust, with a dense foliage, and an 
abundant bearer. In period of ripening, a little later than Grand Duke. 
One of the valuable English plums originated and introduced by Mr. 
Rivers. See Grand Duke. 

Monroe Egg.—Origin, Monroe County, New York. Fruit medium size ; 
oval ; skin greenish yeliow ; flesh rather firm and sweet ; skin rather tough, 
which makes it a favorite with the canners. It produces a heavy crop alter- 
nate years and ripens about with Imperial Gage, from last of August to 
September first. We have a few trees that have been fruiting for over 
twenty years but as it is not well received upon the city markets, there is no 
reason tocommend it to the notice of fruit-growers. Years since it was in 
cultivation very generally by nurserymen, while to-day it can scarcely be 
found. Often called the Monroe. 

Moore's Arctic.—A plum received from Prince Edward's Island several 
years since and while highly regarded there and elsewhere north by reason 
of its hardiness, seems to have no qualities that should make it valuable to 
the commercial grower here. A medium size, dark colored variety, ripen- 
ing last of August and in quality below the average of those that can be 
denominated good. We have abandoned its culture. 

Niagara.—See Bradshaw. 

Orange Prune.—A variety originating, I think, in Orange County of this 
State and highly commended at one time, but of no value whatever as 


190 BULLETIN 131. 


grown in my orchard. Trees have been grafted over. In size, color and 
quality an absolute failure. 

Oswego.—Origin, Oswego, N. Y., and said to be a seedling, but so 
strongly resembling Pond’s Seedling, or Fonthill, that I am inclined to 
regard them as identical. 

Peter's Yellow Gage (Fig. 45.).—Origin unknown. Fruit medium to 
large ; nearly globular; pale yellow, sometimes little shaded red in the sun ; 
flesh yellowish, very rich and juicy; ripening about middle of August. 
Tree hardy in wood and bud, an excellent variety ina family collection. 
An old plum of great excellence. [Fruit generally globular-oblong, with a 
deep suture and light bloom ; co!or of Reine Claude.—L. H. B.] 


45.—FPeter’s Yellow Gage. 


* Pond.—(Pond’s Seedling, Hungarian Prune. ).—Fruit oval ; bright red ; 
enormously large when well matured. Productive and tree very hardy ; 
much inclined to rot before mature and rather inferior in quality. It can- 
not be denominated a favorite orchard sort in western New York. 

* Prince Englebert.— Fruit large ; oval; deep purple, with a dense bloom ; 
rich and excellent in quality ; free-stone; profuse bearer. The tree is 
clothed with a perfect foliage and is very hardy. But little known, and at 
least deserving a place in every private collection. Its period of ripening 
about the last of August, is hardly in its favor as a very desirable market 
sort. Said to have originated in Belgium. 

* Prince of Wales.—Fruit round ; reddish purple ; mediun size ; ripening 
about Sept. 1st, and has much to commend it to general favor. Were it a 


NoTES UPON PLUMS. IQI 


little later in maturing its crop, might become a favorite market sort. Tree 
very hardy ; a great bearer. 

Prune D’ Agen.—F¥ruit medium size; oval; excellent in quality ; skin 
violet-purple. Productive, but as a market sort not equal to either the 
Italian or German prunes and tree more indifferent asa grower. My own 
experience inclines me to advise top-working all prunes on strong growing 
sorts like Lombard, believing that the most satisfactory result will be at- 
tained to the orchardist by this method. 

Prunus Simonit.—A fruit that has been sold by thousands throughout the 
country and for which there continues yet to be a slight demand, and yet too 
poor in quality to have any value whatever, and unworthy of even a des- 
cription. 

Quackenboss (Fig. 40, II.).—Fruit large ; rather oblong ; deep purple, 
covered with a fine bloom ; flesh yellow ; quality only fair, but by reason of 
its large size and attractive appearance sells well upon the markets. “Ripens 
early in September. Tree very hardy, with spreading habit, slow in com- 
ing into bearing and has never been, sufficiently productive on my grounds. 
Originated in eastern New York. 

Reagles’ Union Purple.—Originated near Schenectady, New York. Fruit 
large ; roundish ; skin red to light purple; good quality, fine to eat from 
the hand, but flesh too tender for marketing and of no value for this pur- 
pose. The tree very hardy, very few plums equalling it in this respect. 
Have used a large number of trees in orchard for grafting other sorts upon. 
An old variety now rarely grown. 

Reine Claude de Bavay.—Skin greenish yellow ; flesh yellow, juicy and 
melting. Probably the most productive and valuable of the yellow plums. 
Tree vigorous, but inclined to overbear, and somewhat tender. It begins to 
produce very early from planting andif well cared for will set an annual 
crop. The most enduring and reliable trees I have are those top-worked on 
stock of gnore hardy sorts. [Fruit of medium size, nearly globular, dull 
yellow with green shadings or markings, anda thin bloom; late. Tree is likely 
to be short-lived, the first evidences of failure usually showing in the dying 
of the bark upon the trunk. It can no doubt be improved in vigor and 
longevity by top-working it upon strong stocks. Inthe books often known 
as Bavay, but cultivated under the name of Reine Claude.—t,. H. B. ] 

Richland.—Origin, Bucks County, Pa. Roundish; skin reddish purple ; 
flesh yellow; quality fair. Ripening last of August, but of no value for 
commercial purposes in competition with others that are so much superior 
to it. Tree hardy and productive. The trees we have had have been grafted 
over. 

Rood. —See Empire. 

Shipper’s Pride (Fig. 42).—Origin, Cayuga este New York. Fruit of 
fair size for shipping ; skin dark purple, inclined to be green or to ripen unev- 
enly in the shade. Not sufficiently attractive to commend it as a market 
sort and ripening last of August with a multitude of others of more value. 


192 BULLETIN 131. 


Tree hardy, vigorous and fairly productive. We have worked over our trees 
to what we regard as better sorts. [Strongly resembles Empire. Shipper’s 
Pride is the earlier by two or three days, bluer, more pointed, with a longer 
stem, stone wholly free whilst in Empireitis cling. Quality only fair. See 
Figs. 41 and 42.—L,. H. B. | 

* Shropshire Damson (Fig. 46).—Dark purple; rather obovate, a little 
larger than ordinary Blue Damson ; very productive. It ripens from last of 
August to early in September and can be profitably grown in the orchard. 
Like many others of the English sort, however, it is inclined to drop its fol- 
iage early. | 

Smith's Orleans.—Vargely grown twenty-five years since and then 
regarded as a valuable sort for the family garden, but its period of ripen- 
ing,—little past middle of August,—has rendered it unpopular in the com- 
mercial orchard list, hence it is but rarely found in the nurseries of to-day. 


46.—Shropshtre Damson. Two-thirds full size. 


Fruit large ; flesh yellow, juicy and rich ; skin reddish purple; excellent for 
eating. 

Spaulding.—Medium size; yellowish green; quality fair. Moderately 
productive and ripening a little earlier than Reine Claude. Has nothing of 
especial value to commend it to the commercial orchardist. This variety 
was put upon the market as curculio-proof, which, of course, it is not. 

Stanton.—Origin, Albany Co., New York. Fruit medium size; nearly 
round ; excellent in quality either for eating from the hand or preserving. 
Ripening middle of September, often later, and having the property of 
keeping well after being picked. It isan excellent shipper, but unless 
picked before too mature is inclined to drop from the tree. It is a little 


NoTES UPON PLUMS. 193 


tardy in coming into bearing, but can be regarded as a desirable orchard 
variety. 

Union Purple.—See Reagles’ Union Purple. 

* Victoria.—Fruit large ; oval; reddish upon a yellow ground. An abun- 
dant bearer, but foliage very defective, frequently leaving the tree with a 
mass of unripened fruit, which, in a warm, moist season, is apt to decay 
badly. With me this variety has been a complete failure. 

Warner's Late Red.—A late, small, red plum sent to me several years 
since from Schoharie County, N. Y. Tree very hardy and prolific, but fruit 
lacking in such essentials as would be regarded desirable either for home use 
or market. 


47.—Weedsport Prune. 


Washington.—One of the largest of all plums, of fine quality, skin yellow ; 
has an excellent foliage. Fruit ripens middle to last of August at Geneva. 
Tree vigorous and hardy, desirable in a family collection, but can hardly be 
said to have value as a market fruit. 

Weedsport Prune (Fig. 47).—One of the many German prunes, the tree of 
which is so poor a grower that it will be grown by few in the nursery, 
and the fruit differs little from several other strains. Much esteemed 
about Weedsport, N. Y. 

Yellow E-gg.—aA variety that has been disseminated under several other 
names, but more frequently called for as Magnum Bonum. Very popular 
because of its beauty and size and value for canning purposes. Skin yellow 
with a bloom and a deep golden color when fully mature. The tree is on 


194 BULLETIN 131. 


of the most hardy of the plum family and where this is an essential, it should 
be more generally planted, provided the soil is inclined to be heavy. On 
some of the light soils of Michigan we have known of its dropping the fruit 
badly before mature. Its large size and fine qualities for canning make a 
demand for this purpose among those engaged in this industry which would 
warrant its cultivation more largely. It ripens about the middle of August, 
is of low quality and in no sense a desirable fruit to eat from the hand. 

Yellow Gage isa general name for a class of vellow plums, of which Peter’s 
Yellow Gage is the best for western New York. 


Japanese Plums. 


Abundance.—A variety of the Japanese plum which I have now been 
fruiting for eight or nine years. JI regard it as one of the best of several of 
the family that I have tested and so well known as to need no description. 
Quality good and productive ; tree hardy and vigorous, but in no sense equal 
in my estimation to the next. 

Burbank.—A variety sent out by Mr. Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, 
California, and well described in Bulletin 106 of the Cornell -Experi- 
ment Station. The tree is very hardy and vigorous, but the most sprawling 
in its habits of growth of any plum I have ever cultivated. As regards pro- 
ductiveness, it is unequaled by any plum I have ever fruited. To produce 
the finest fruit heavy thinning should be practiced. The quality is excellent 
and it is destined to become one of the most popular of all plums for can- 
ning, while its attractive color, good quality and shipping properties will 
cause it to be sought for as a market variety. It ripens ten days to two 
weeks later than Abundance. I have had it in fine condition the last week 
in August and early in September. | 

Kelsey.—TVhis variety has winter-killed to such an extent that I abandoned 
any effort to fruit it and am sure if the variety obtained was true to name 
that it cannot be grown as an orchard tree at this place. [We still hear of 
the Kelsey being fruited in New York, but in every case which we have 
investigated some other Japanese variety has been misnamed the Kelsey. 
The farthest north which I have ever known the true Kelsey to fruit is 
southern Delaware.—L,. H. B. | 

Ogon.—Medium to large; color lemon yellow; flesh firm and a good 
shipper; perfect free-stone; quality poor; inclined to drop badly before 
mature, and is only a fair producer. I see no reason why it should be 
planted in the commercial orchard, but is a good canner. Have had it in 
fruit for several years. 

True Sweet Botan.—Received from J. C. Normand, of Marksville, 
Louisiana. It closely resembles the Abundance in wood and fruit, and yet 
it seems inclined to ripen a few days earlier; of better quality and apt to 
take on a brighter red color; hardy and productive. 

Willard.—This variety, with several others, was obtained in a lot of cions 
obtained in California several years since and in which I became specially 


Notes UpPon PLUuUMs. 195 


interested because of its vigorous habit and hardiness. Size medium ; color 
red and attractive ; productive ; very early ; frequently ripening by 15th to 
20th of July, and when picked early will keep a long time in good condition 
with no disposition to decay. Quality poor; indeed, as compared with 
others, I regard it as inferior. 

Yellow Japan.—This variety was obtained of Mr. Normand, and I under- 
stand has also been disseminated under the name of the Chase. Fruit not 
quite equal to Burbank in point of size as grown in close proximity on my 
grounds. Color of skin not quite so dark. Quality good, habit of growth 
upright, foliage not so strong and in my opinion the tree might not endure 
as low a temperature without injury as the Burbank. It ripens considerably 
later and is more variable in its habits. The fruit has been much larger and 
of better quality and color some seasons than others, upon the same trees ; 
hence, I have been led to infer that it is scarcely as reliable as Burbank. 
[This is the Chase of my Bulletin 106, and that name should be preferred.— 
Dera Bal: 


The following is a list of others of the Japan family, growing for test pur- 
poses, somie of which have borne a little fruit, but not sufficient to warrant 
an expression as to their merits: Satsuma, Berger, Wickson, Red June, 
Normand, Shiro Smomo, October Purple. The last received from Luther 
Burbank from whom also sample fruit was had, which was fine in appear- 
ance and of excellent quality, and should this variety develop quality and 
productiveness of a satisfactory nature here, I believe it will be valuable. 


ah 


teh eet its Re 


at 


oh FS ee Aid sv ¢) 


Bulletin 62. — January, 1894. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 


APA mi) eb 
fapanese Plums 7 


~IN NORTH AMERICA. 


By L. H. BAILEY. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY. 
ITHACA, N.Y. 


1894. 


7 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY.. 


STATION COUNCIL. 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN. 
Hon. A. D. WHITE, - - - - Trustee of the University. 
Hon. JOHN B. DUTCHER, - President State Agricultural Society. 
I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - Professor of Agriculture. 
G. C. CALDWELL, - - s - - Professor of Chemistry. 
JAMES Law, - - - - Professor of Veterinary Science. 
A. N. PRENTISS, = - ~ - - - Professor of Botany. 
J. H. ComsTocK, - - - - Professor of Entomology. 
L. H. BAILEY, - - - - - Professor of Horticulture. 
H. H. WING, - - - - Asst. Professor of Dairy Husbandry. 
G. F. ATKINSON, - - +. Asst. Professor of Cryptogamic Botany. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 


I. P. ROBERTS, - - - = - Director, 
HENRY H. WING, - - Deputy Director and Secretary. 


EK. L. WILLIAMS, - - - - - Treasurer. 
ASSISTANTS. 

M. V. SLINGERLAND, - - - - Entomology. 

Gro. C. WATSON, - - - - - Agriculture. 


G. W. CAVANAUGH, - - - - - Chemistry. 
E.G. LODEMAN, - : - - : Horticulture. 


Offices of the Director and Deputy Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
Those desiring this Bulletin sent to friends will please send us the names 


of the parties. 


BULLETINS OF 1894. 


62. The Japanese Plums in North America. 


_—~ 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS IN NORTH AMERICA. 


In 1870, Mr. Hough, of Vacaville, California, secured several 
plum trees from Japan through Mr. Bridges, a United States Consul 
in that country, at a cost of ten dollars each. ‘These trees soon 
passed into the hands of the late John Kelsey, of Berkeley, Calt- 
fornia, who obtained the first ripe fruit in 1876 or 1877. Mr. 
Kelsey became convinced of the value of the plum for general 
cultivation, and its propagation upon an extensive scale was begun 
in 1883 by W. P. Hammon & Co., of Oakland, who afterwards 
named it in memory of Mr. Kelsey, and who made large sales in 
the planting season of 1884. Subsequently, other parties, partic- 
ularly Luther Burbank, of Santa Rosa, California, made importa- 
tions of plum trees from Japan, and have disseminated the varieties 
widely. For the past four or five years, these plums have awakened 
more interest throughout the country than any other new or recent 
type of fruits ; and it has been found, contrary to the early opinion, 
that many of them are adapted to the northern States. While 
they are often inferior in quality to the best garden or Domestica* 
plums, they possess various desirable characteristics which the 
others do not, particularly great vigor and productiveness of tree, 
comparative freedom from disease, great beauty, and long-keeping 
qualities ; and the best of them compare well in quality with 
the common plums. 


* The term Domestica plums is used to distinguish the common cultivated 
plums, all of which have sprung from the European Prunus domestica, from 
the Native and Japanese types. 

The term Japanese plum is used only for these varieties of Prunus triflora 
now under consideration, and does not include the Bungo or Bongoume 
types, which are apricots and which will be treated in a future bulletin. The 
Apricot or Simon plum (Prunus Simonit) has been already discussed in 
Bulletin 51. The so-called Japan plum of the extreme south is the loquat, 
and is foreign to the purpose of this bulletin. 

The native plums and cherries are treated in detail in Bulletin 38. 


4 BULLETIN 62. 


N 


Original specimens of Prunus trifilora in the Kew Herbarium. 


For many years after the introduction of the Kelsey, there 
seems to have been little speculation as to the origin or botanical 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 5 


position of these oriental plums; but as the varieties increased 
and began to attract general attention, a demand arose for a 
knowledge of their genesis. A plum found in the botanic gar- 
dens at Calcutta 
about seventy 
years ago by 
Roxburgh, and 
by him named 
Prunus triflora, 
seemed. ithe 
most likely par- 
ent) Ditteag 
LD Co emer eene 
some  difficul- 
ties in his char- 
acterization of 
the species, and 
as subsequent 
botanists have 
not found the 
wild form, and 
as Maximo- 
wicz, the most 
eminent botan- 
ist who has 
recently given 
careful atten- 
tion to these 
oriental floras, 
Winter buds of three species of Plums—Prunus domes- 10es not idenify 
tica, P. triflora, and P. hortulana. the cultivated 

plum flora of 

Japan with Roxburgh’s species, I accepted for a time a name pro- 
posed by Professor Kizo Tamari, of Tokio, Prunus Hattan, and 
published it as the best means of classifying our knowledge of these 
plums until the proper botanical name should be determined. In 
1891, Professor Georgeson, of the Kansas Agricultural College, 
who had spent some years in Japan in a critical study of its pro- 


6 BULLETIN 62. 


ducts, definitely referred these plums to Prunus triflora of Rox- 
burgh, in an article in American Garden. It now remained to con- 
sult the dried botanical specimens which Roxburgh left of his spe- 
cies. ‘The accompanying illustration shows the specimens in the 
Kew Herbarium, England, part of which appear to be from Rox- 
burgh himself ; and the others are from the Ava Hills of north- 
western India, probably from cultivated plants, collected by N.C. 
Royle. Upon these specimens nearly all our knowledge of Prunus 
triflora seems to rest. I am not able tosay which of the specimens 
in the illustration were collected by Roxburgh, but all are essentially 
alike, and I have no hesitation in saying that our cultivated Jap- 
anese plums are the same.* The types in cultivation vary much 


*The synonymy of these plums will therefore stand as follows: 
PRUNUS TRIFLORA, Roxburgh, Hort. Bengal. 38 (1814). 
P. trifolia, Fl. Indica, ii. 501 (1824). 
P. Hattan, Tamari Mss; Bailey, Annals Hort. 1889, 30, and Amer. Gard. 
xli. 74 (1891). 
Prunus Japonica, of horticulturists. 

The following is Roxburgh’s description of the species in his Flora of 
India, p. 501. In this work the plant is called Prunus trifolia, probably 
through inadvertence. 

‘‘Unarmed. Pedunclestern. Leaves oblong, very finely gland-serrate, 
smooth, in the bud equitant. Drupes cordate. 

‘Chin. Hong-sum-li. 

‘“This elegant very ramous bushy shrub has been received from China, 
into our gardens in Bengal, where it blossoms in February, immediately 
after which the luxurious foliage expands, and the fruit, which is about the 
size of the common plum, and nearly as palatable, ripens in May and June. 

‘‘Trunk in our young cultivated trees, or rather shrubs, very short, soon 
dividing into numerous branches and branchlets in all directions from 
diverging to erect. Bark on all smooth. Leaves alternate, in the bud 
equitant, petioled, recurved, oblong, tapering equally at each end, very 
finely gland-serrate, considerably acuminate, smooth, from two to four inches 
long, and from one to two broad, in Bengal deciduous about the close of the 
year. Stipules from the base of the petioles, ensiform, gland-ciliate. Flow- 
ers very numerous, rather small and white, short peduncled, regularly three 
from each bud, and there are generally two of those buds in each of the old 
axills, with a leaf-bearing one in the center. Bractes, the scales of the bud, 
cordate, scariose, and nearly caducous. Calyx, segments five, oblong ; mar- 
gins glandular. Petals oval, short-clawed, the length of the peduncles. 
Filaments about thirty, shorter than the petals. Germ ovate, one celled, 
containing two ovula attached to the same side of the cell. Style the length 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 7 


amongst themselves, but I have been unable to make more than 
one species out of them; and the variation is considerably less 
than in the families or groups of the Domestica plums, which 
botanists are pretty well agreed have descended from a single 
specific type. 

This plum is probably native to China. Roxburgh said that 
the species was introduced in Calcutta from China, and upon this 
assertion Hemsley admits it to his recent Flora of China, having 
‘fonly seen specimens cultivated in the Calcutta Botanic 
Garden.’’ ‘There is no record, so far as I know, of its occurrence 
in a native state in Japan. Professor Georgeson remarks that its 
cultivation is old in Japan and that its origin is uncertain ; and 
Professor Sargent, of Harvard University, who has recently made 
an exploration of the forests of Japan, was unable to find wild 
plants. Much of the interior and western portion of China is un- 
explored botanically, and it is not strange that the aboriginal 
type of this interesting fruit is yet undiscovered. According to 
Bretschneider* the plum was anciently cultivated in China, 
which indicates an indigenous origin. 

Maximowicz, Hemsley and other botanists seem to be confused 
with the resemblance of Prunus triflora to P. domestica, and it 
has also been said by various pomologists that some of the plums 
recently imported from Japan are only varieties of the Domestica 
type. While botanical specimens of the two may strongly resem- 
ble one another, the species are nevertheless readily distinguished, 
even in winter; and I have not yet seen a plum of Japanese 
origin which can be referred to Prunus domestica. In fact, the 
Domestica plums seem to be little known in Japan. Professor 
Georgeson, writing upon this point, makes the following state- 
ments:; ‘‘’The varieties of this species, which is our common 


of the stamina. Stigma large. Drupe cordate, with an obtuse rising at the 
apex, the size of the common plum, and of the same purple colour, covered 
with a similar bloom, grooved on oneside. Pulp in large quantity, of a pale 
reddish yellow. Seed single, conform to the nut. Integument single. 
Perisperm a thin covering on one side only. Embryo inverse. Cotyledons 
unequal, the small one doubled, and embraced by the larger, subequitant.”’ 

* Bretschneider, On the Study and Value of Chinese Botanical Works, 10, 
45. 

+ Amer. Gard, xii. 75. 


8 BULLETIN 62. 


plum, have been introduced in Japan, but are not generally known, 
if known at all, beyond the environments of foreign settlements, 
and those regions reached by the Kaitakushi in its attempts to 
introduce and naturalize foreign fruits. The Kaitakushi was the 
name of a department of the government (commonly translated 
Colonization Department), which, however, was abolished long 
ago. Its object was to colonize the northern island with Japanese, 
and to this end large numbers of fruits and other economic plants 
from the West were introduced, the climate there being some- 
what like that of central and northern Europe.’’ If the Domes- 
tica plums are little known in Japan, it may also be said that the 
Japanese plums appear to be wholly unknown in Europe,* unless 
possibly in Russia; and it is therefore not probable that any 
serious confusion of varieties has occurred between the two 
species. It is very important, then, that a complete record of 
this species should be made while yet it is confined to compara- 
tively isolated areas of the globe. 

Botanical position of the Japanese plums.—There is a striking 
difference in the winter characters of trees of Japanese and 
Domestica plums. ‘The Japanese varieties tend to make long and 
forking branches, with a light colored, rough, somewhat peach- 
like bark which is marked by numerous corky elevations, while 
the Domesticas are closer and more bushy growers, with a dull 
gray or purplish, tight, smooth bark. But the greatest differ- 
ences lie in the buds. The engraving ( page 5 ) shows at No. 1a 
twig of the Coe’s Golden Drop,a Domestica plum; this,in common 
with all varieties of the species, has single and pointed buds. 
The Japanese varieties usually have their buds in threes, as in 
the twig of Burbank (No. 2), or sometimes even in fours or fives, 
as in the shoot of Kerr (No. 3), and these buds are small and 
blunt. Three flowers commonly spring from each flower-bud of 
the Japanese varieties and it was this circumstance which led 
Roxburgh to call the species Prunus triflora or three-flowered 
plum ; while in the Domestica type the flowers are more common- 


* Naudin, for instance, in his admirable J/anuel de l Acclimateur (1887) 
knows the species (which he calls, erroneously, Prunus Japonica) only from 
an account of the recent introductions into California contained in the 
Gardener’s Chronicle. 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 9 


ly one or two from each bud. The buds are often aggregated 
upon short spurs in the Japanese varieties as seen in the drawing 


Ogon. 


upon page 4,and the flowers are then crowded 
into showy masses, as in the picture of Ogon 
herewith. Upon the longershoots wherethe 
buds are but three at a joint, the clusters are 
less evident, as in the accompanying illustra- 
tion of Kelsey, yet their glomerate character is 
always more marked than in the Domesticas. Brief characters of 
separation maybe drawn between Prunus domestica and P. triflora 
as follows: 


Kelsey. 


10 BULLETIN 62. 


ComMON Piums (Prunus domestica).—Trees of moderate and 
more or less crooked growth, with not roughened gray or purp- 
lish and often pubescent young wood and single pointed buds and 
large, protruding leaf-scars; flowers usually one to two from a 
bud, large and opening wide, mostly long-stalked ; leaves mostly 
large, thick and heavy in texture and prominently netted and 
often pubescent below, dull above, varying from ovate to round- 
ovate to broadly obovate in outline, blunt or the point not pro- 
nounced, conspicuously obtusely toothed or sometimes almost 
jagged ; fruit globular or oblong or even oboval but not promi- 
nently pointed, with a large, flat, pointed and winged pit. 

JAPANESE Piums (Prunus triflora).—Trees of strong growth 
with widely spreading long forked branches which are light 
colored and marked with corky elevations, the young growth not 
pubescent, the buds three or more at the joint, and the leaf-scars 
often small; flowers mostly two to three from each bud, gener- 

‘ally rather small and short-stalked and sometimes not opening 
wide ; leaves firm but rather thin in feeling and not pubescent nor 
rough-netted below although the whitish veins are pronounced, 
very smooth and often somewhat shiny above, commonly long- 
obovate or sometimes nearly elliptic in outline and the point 
usually prominent, the edges marked with fine close serratures ; 
fruit globular or more often conical and with a deep depression 
at base and a very prominent suture, the flesh clinging to or free 
from the smooth or lightly pitted scarcely winged pit. 

But these Japanese plums are more nearly allied botanically to 
our native plums, particularly to the Wild Goose type, than they 
are to the Domestica class. This may be seen even in the twigs. 
on page 5, of which No. 4 is the Wild Goose. And this simi- 
larity to our native species is really, to my mind, one of the 
strongest points in their favor, for it indicates that they will be 

‘likely to adapt themselves to a very wide range of our great 
country, inasmuch as we may fairly assume that similarity of at- 
tributes has been produced by similarity of environment. This — 
conviction of their kinship with our native species and the know- 
ledge that they come from the eastern Asian region from which 
we draw so many of our adaptive plants, has led me to recom- 
mend them strongly for trial even in our more trying fruit regions; 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. Tf 


and recent reports indicate that some varieties bear so far 
north as Ottawa, Ontario, and in the trying winters of central 
Iowa ; and one, at least, of Professor Budd’s Russian plums is of 
this species. Several pomologists have been struck with this 
similarity of the Japanese and native types; and, strangely enough, 
Dr. A. B. Dennis of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in endeavoring to ex- 
plain this relationship in a recent paper before his State Horticul- 
tural Society, by supposing a former land connection between 
northwestern America and Asia, has independently hit upon one 
of the important points in the coincident evolution of the Japanese 
and eastern American floras, the discussion of which, over thirty 
years ago, made Asa Gray famous. 

It may be well, in passing, to consider for a moment the possi- 
ble effect of this new class of plums upon the further development 
of our native species. I am sorry to hear from some of my friends 
who have given careful attention to the amelioration of the na- 
tives, that they shall now relax their efforts upon the native types 
and accept the Japanese sorts in their stead. It is true that the 
Japanese plums are now better in fruit, for all that we can see, 
than the natives, but wecan depend upon it that they will develop 
weak points somewhere, even in comparison with the little im- 
proved natives ; and we should further consider that all types of 
plums now in the country, or likely to come in, add variety and 
diversity to the foundation upon which our horticulture must 
build, and make it possible to develop fruits for every variety of 
country and use. And if the Japanese plum promises more for 
large areas of our country than the Huropean or Domestica type 
because of its evolution in conditions somewhat like our own, 
certainly the native species must possess still greater promise. 
The native species are yet scarcely rescued from the woods, while 
the other two have been cultivated for centuries; but while the 
latter have sprung from a single species in their respective coun- 
tries, our native stock offers at least a half dozen species, and it 
is from them, without a doubt, that the greater part of the Ameri- 
can plum industry will some day be found to have sprung. 

Nomencdature and classification of varieties.—There is much 
confusion in the nomenclature of the Japanese plums. If the 
varieties imported from Japan have been named at all, they have 


12 BULLETIN 62." 


usually come as Botan or Botankio, Hattankio or Sumomo (gen- 
erally written Smomo); but these names refer to classes or groups 
of varieties, and the attempt in this country to apply them defi- 
nitely has resulted in confusion. It may also be said that the 
Satsuma or Blood class appears to comprise several varieties. The 
Sumomo class is characterized by small globular fruit, with a firm 
sweet flesh, ripening very early. The Botans or Botankios are 
larger and later round plums, while the Hattans or Hattankios 
are conical. The terms are applied loosely even in Japan, and it 
does not seem to be worth while to endeavor to retain them here, 
particularly as there appear to be all manner of gradations be- 
tween the types of the different groups. ‘There has been some 
misconception of the application of these terms and it is often 
said that they refer to color rather than to shape. Upon this 
point, Professor Georgeson explains as follows :* 
_ “*Quite a number of the many other varieties [than the Sumo- 
mos] springing from this species are designated by two general 
names, a. fact which is very confusing to a stranger when he begins 
to study them. These names are botankio and hattankio, or bo- 
dankio and hadankio, for they are variously pronounced as regards 
the sound of dand ¢. These two names are common and are 
even occasionally heard in this country; but itis a mistake to 
suppose that they apply to two and only two varieties. They are 
names of two ill-defined classes of plums, and are applied rather 
loosely to several varieties which differ in color and size and some- 
what alsoin shape. ‘The only distinction between the two classes 
that I have been able to establish is based on the shape. The 
round plums are designated by the term botankio, while those of 
an oval or pointed shape are called hattankio. A mistake often 
made by foreigners, and by some natives also, is to suppose that 
the distinction is based on color, though it is a fact that most of 
the botankios are red. The name hattankio is also sometimes 
given to the almond, while botan is the name of the pzeony, and 
ha-botan means cabbage, and one of the many meanings of kio, 
or kiyo, is large, or great. If these objects had anything to do 
with the naming of the plums it seems probable that botan refer- 
red to the rounded shape and not to the color, since their peonies 


* Amer, Gard: xile 742 


The Hattankio type of Plum. From a Japanese drawing. (See page 14.) ; 


14 BULLETIN 62. 


are found ina great variety of colors, and that hattankio referred 
to the resemblance in shape to the almond. But as already re- 
marked, these names are used very loosely, as it isan easy matter 
to find‘several evidently quite distinct varieties of each class for 
which both grower and dealer can give you no other name than 
botankio or battankio, as the case may be. Sometimes again 
these terms may have a prefix indicative of the color, or size, or 
of the place where it is grown.”’ 

There are various colors in each of these classes of plums, from 
deep purple to light red, yellow and nearly white. The Hattan- 
kio class seems to be the commonest in this country, being repre- 
sented by the Kelsey, Burbank, Satsuma, Abundance, Berckmans, 
Normand, Kerr. ‘The accompanying illustration of the Shiro (or 
White) Hattankio, made in Japan under Professor Georgeson’s 
supervision, represents the typical characters of the class, and 
-affords at the same time an admirable botanical characterization 
of Prunus triflora. The Botans are represented here chiefly by 
Ogon and Willard ; while the Sumomos seem to be known only 
in the little cherry-like Berger, shown natural size upon the cover, 
and which passes under a variety of names. ‘The Japanese plums 
might be divided into two general groups upon the color of the 
flesh—the yellow-fleshed and the red-fleshed or Satsumas, but 
this classification would serve little purpose, although the Satsu- © 
mas seem tobe recognized as aclass by my Japanese correspondents. 

Professor Tamari, of Tokio, makes a somewhat different appli- 
cation of these terms, although he is less specific in explanation 
of them. If I understand him correctly,* he uses Smomo as a 
generic term for plum. ‘There are then three classes of plums, as 
follows : ) 

1. Hatankio. Habit and growth slender, the young branches 
straight and erect, leaves large and long and of light color ; fruit 
not sour but rather bitter when young,f freestone, never colored 
in skin or flesh, but the skin becomes yellowish green and after- 
wards slightly tinted with purple-red. Kelsey plum is cited as an 
example. _ | 


* Proc. 16th meeting Ga. Hort. Soc. (1891), 45. 
t It should be said that the Japanese use green fruits of plums and apricots 
for eating. 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. Pate 


Botankio is a sub-group of this, characterized by round fruit. 
ace Beni-Smomo, or red-fleshed plums. ‘Three names are 
chiefly used, evidently somewhat loosely, for varieties in this 
group: Honsmomo, Yonemomo, and Uchi-Beni. 

3. Smomo proper, comprising fruits ‘‘ either colored or not in 
the skin, but never colored inside.’’ 

This classification is of little service so far as the varieties 
known in America are concerned, and it shows that we may as 
well discard entirely the loose group-names of the Japanese. The 
methods of cultivating fruits in Japan enforces the adoption of 
local and generic names, and there seems to be little attempt to 
apply specific names with the certainty and distinctness with 
which they are used here and in Europe. ‘‘Plum trees,’’ Pro- 
fessor Georgeson writes, ‘‘are rarely found planted in orchard 
form, as are the pears, for instance, but they are scattered here 
and there about the dwelling houses or in the gardens, wherever 
the situation may appear to be suitable. It is also exceptional to 
' find trees that receive much care or training. The bearing 
branches are often broken off and carried away bodily. It is not 
uncommon during midsummer to meet a pedestrian with a plum 
branch loaded with green fruit, on his shoulder. It may be a 
present from a friend, or it may be intended for sale, but it shows 
at all events that the owner has no great regard’ for his tree.’’ 
In such conditions of cultivation it is not strange that no specific 
attention is given to names of the different forms. 

The earliest attempt made in this country to classify and 
describe the varieties of Japanese plums, was an excellent essay 
by L. A. Berckmans in the Proceedings of the Georgia Horticul- 
tural Society for 1889. ‘This essay, in modified form and with 
illustrations, appeared in American Agriculturist for January, 
1890. 

Characteristics of the Japanese plums.—About thirty varieties of 
Japanese plums are now named and more or less disseminated in 
this country, and others are known by numbers or indefinite 
appellations. Nearly all of the named sorts, if, in fact not all 
varieties, are direct importations from Japan ; but unnamed seed- 
lings are now coming to be known to experimenters and the time 
must be near at hand when a varied American progeny will come 


16 BULLETIN 62. 


into the market. Judging from Professor Georgeson’s account, 
there is still abundant material upon which to draw in the mother 
country, however: ‘‘The wonder is rather that our enterprising 
nurserymen and plum-growers have apparently been content with 
these two or three varieties [many more have now appeared], and 
that they have not instead gone in search of more and perhaps 
hardier plums of the same kind; for it might reasonably be sup- 
posed that a country which could produce those we have would 
be likely to have others equally worthy of notice. Such, at any 
rate, is the fact. There are many varieties in Japan which are 
fully equal to the so-called Kelsey, Ogon and Botan, which are 
already known here. Let him who doubts this visit the fruit 
stands in the Japanese portion of Yokohama during June and 
July. He will be gratified by the sight of a greater collection of 
varieties than can be found in any horticultural exhibit in this 
country. Tokio is also well supplied with plums at this season, 
and so are other towns throughout the country; but the region 
about Yokohama and a little southward is especially noted for its 
plums.’’ ‘These places are near the center of Japan, where the 
climate is mild; but Japan extends over some fifteen degrees of 
latitude and it is not strange, therefore, that varieties of various 
degrees of hardiness should be obtained from the empire. Un- 
fortunately, the Kelsey was the first Japanese plum to become 
known in this country, and as it is hardy only upon the Pacific 
coast and south of Virginia, it became a general impression 
that the species is not adapted to cultivation in the north. The 
varieties which are now known to be hardy in the plum regions 
of New York and Connecticut are Burbank, Abundance, Willard, 
Ogon, Satsuma, Berger, Chabot, and Yosebe; and most others 
give promise of hardiness. Dr. Dennis reports Burbank and 
Ogon to have borne at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last season, after 
having experienced a temperature 26° below zero. Early bloom- 
ing will probably prove to be a more serious weakness of these 
plums than lack of hardiness ; and this point is discussed farther 
on'(p. 32). 

The season of these plums varies considerably. The earliest to 
mature in central New York is the little Berger, which ripens the 
middle of July. The earliest of what may be called the market 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 17 


varieties, in this latitude, seems to be Willard, which colors suf- 
ficiently for market about the 15th of July in ordinary seasons, 
and which is fully ripe for eating a week later. Ogon follows, 
coming in about the first of August, or sometimes late in July, or 
about ten days ahead of Wild Goose. Late in August or very 
early in September, the Abundance is ready. Just before the 
Abundance, a soft and handsome plum, which is either Berck- 
man’s or very close to it, has interested me upon the grounds of 
S. D. Willard, at Geneva, N. Y. Bradshaw, alongside the above 
varieties, ripens late in August, and Field is about a week earlier : 
and as these two varieties are the earliest well-known market 
plums of the Domestica type in New York, it will be seen that 
the Willard has a great commercial advantage. Burbank ripens 
here about the first week in September, or sometimes the second 
week. Incentral Louisiana, J. L. Normand gives the following 
as the common succession of varieties: Georgeson, ripening the 
first days in June or sometimes the last of May; Kerr, about 
twelve days later; Berckmans; Abundance ; Normand; Burbank; 
Chabot; Bailey, ripening earlyin July; Satsuma; Kelsey, two 
weeks later than the last. Kelsey is evidently the latest of all the 
Japanese plums yet known in this country. I have received 
specimens not fully ripe from Central Florida as late as the 2oth 
of July, and it has been known to: ripen in Georgia as late as the 
first of October. 

As a class, the Japanese plums are long keepers. Even when 
they are fully colored and grown and are fit to eat, some varieties 
will keep nearly two weeks, and most of them will keep a week; 

-andsome, if not all of the varieties ripen up well if picked rather 
green, after the manner of a pear, although they may suffer in 
quality from such treatment. Willard, picked when beginning to 
color on the exposed side, I have kept nine days in good condi- 
tion in a warm room and with no attempt to preserve them ; 
Abundance picked August 24, when well colored, began to decay 
September 2; Burbank, partly colored and picked August 24th, 
were placed in a tight box in a warm room, and on September 
5th they were nearly allin perfect condition and had colored well, 

‘ but were not even then fully ripe; a red plum, much like Berck- 

mans, kept from September 18th to October 1. J. H. Hale, of 


18 BULLETIN. 62. 


Connecticut, reports keeping Satsuma two weeks in his office in 
good condition, and they were fairly ripe when picked. 

Varieties.—An attempt will now be made to describe the varie- 
ties of Japanese plums which are known in North America. The 
nomenclature is so much confused and many of the varieties so 
imperfectly known, that I cannot hope to have arrived at just 
conclusions in regard to the proper names and descriptions of all 
of them; but the attempt will serve to classify and fix our know- 
ledge of the varieties and I hope that it will lead others to make 
a more prolonged study of them. It is particularly difficult to 
determine which is the proper type of any variety in those cases 
in which two or three fruits pass under the same name, and I 
presume that some of the following names may be found to be 
wrongly applied. .On the other hand, it is very probable that 
some of the varieties which are here kept distinct may prove to 
be identical. Some of the varieties I know only from printed 
descriptions, but I have added them for the purpose of making 
the monograph complete. Many growers have given me great 
aid in the preparation of this descriptive list, amongst whom I | 
should mention P. J. Berckmans, of Augusta, Georgia, and 5. D. 
Willard, Geneva, N. Y., without whose cooperation I could 
scarcely have attempted this essay. 

It has seemed best to discard entirely the Japanese class-names, 
as Botan, Botankio, Hattankio, Sumomo and the like, as they only 
lead to confusion. I have therefore renamed some of the varie- 
ties which are passing under indefinite names or numbers. ‘The 
introduction of the name Abundance for the plum first known as 
Yellow-Fleshed Botan has been severely criticized in some quar- 
ters, but I have always felt that the renaming was not only justi- 
fiable but essential to lucid nomenclature. If the other Japanese 
generic names had been supplanted several years ago, much of 
the present confusion would have been avoided. 

In rating the size of the varieties, Kelsey, of course, must stand — 
Io; and in comparison with this standard even 7 or 8 rep a a 

large plum. 
It does not seem to be necessary to adopt any classification of 
these plums, and I have therefore listed them alphabetically. The 
most serviceable classification would be one founded upon color of 
' skin and flesh. The varieties might be arranged as follows : 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 19 


A. Yellow-skinned plums: 


Georgeson, Kerr, 
Normand, Ogon. 


B. Red-skinned plums: 
Lege el CLOW flesh. 


Abundance, Babcock, 
Berckmans, Bailey, 
Burbank, Berger, 
Kelsey , Chabot, 
Long Fruit, Maru, 
Munson, Orient, 
Perfection, Red Nagate, 
Strawberry, Willard, 
Yosebe. 

Bom iLca yiesi., 
Delaware, Hale, 
Heikes, Late Blood, 
Satsuma, eee: 7 Uchi-Beni. 


is Abundance,(Yellow- ished Botan).—Medium in size (or 
large when thinned) varying from nearly spherical to distinctly 
sharp-pointed, the point often oblique; ground color rich yellow 
overlaid on the sunny side with dots and splashes of red, or in 
some specimens nearly uniformly blush-red on the exposed side ; 
flesh deep yellow, juicy and sweet, of good quality when well 
ripened, cling. A strong-growing upright tree with rather nar- 
row leaves, and a decided tendency to overbear. ‘This is the best 
known of all Japanese plums in the north, and its popularity is 
deserved. Ripe here in early September or late August ; in east- 
ern middle Georgia late in June. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1884. Named Abundance and 
put upon the general market by J. T. Lovett, in 1888. The illus- 
tration (Plate I) shows average Abundance as grown in New 
York, without thinning, three-fourths natural size. I have seen 
the fruit nearly twice as large from trees which were thinned. 
The fruit is apt to rot badly in wet seasons, unless well thinned. 

2. Babcock (Botankio. Botan, of some).—Medium to large 
(1%-1% in. diam.), round, conical, skin yellow overlaid with 
purplish red, rather thick; flesh, deep orange and solid, a little 
coarse, sweet, of good flavor and quality, cling; rather late, 


20 BULLETIN. 62. 


ripening about with the Burbank, or about a week earlier than 
Chabot in the south. 

Imported in 1885 by Luther Burbank. Now named for Col. E. 
F. Babcock, a well-known nurseryman of Little Rock, Arkansas, 
and among the first to grow and recommend the variety. 

3. Batley.—Varge, nearly globular, with only a slight tendency 
to become conical; ground color rich orange, overspread with light 
and bright cherry-red, and showing many minute orange dots; 
flesh thick and melting, yellow, of excellent quality, cling. Tree 
strong and upright, productive. Closely related to Burbank, but 
rounder and mostly larger, and a week or more later. 

Imported by J. L. Normand, Marksville, Louisiana, and by 
him named and introduced in 1891. Figured in American Gar- 
dening, xiii. (1892), p. 700. There appears to be another Bailey 
plum of the Domestica type. I know it only from a plate made 
by Dewey of Rochester and which declares that it ‘‘ has not failed 
to bear for twenty-five successive years.’’ - The Rochester Litho- 
graphing Co., successors to Dewey, write me that this plate was 
in Dewey’s stock before 1886, but that they know nothing further 
about it. 

4. Berckmans (True Sweet Botan. Sweet Botan. White-Fleshed 
Botan. Botan, of some).—Medium (or slightly aboveif thinned), 
broadly and obtusely conical and somewhat angular in cross- 
section ; deep blood red if ripened in the sun; flesh very sweet, 
moderately juicy, excellent in quality, cling or semi-cling ; ripens 
with Abundance or just ahead of it. One of the best. 

Introduced by Luther Burbank in 1887, from imported stock. 
The variety does not appear to be a true Botan, and its nomen- 
clature is so confused and indefinite that I have renamed it for 
Mr. Berckmans, who has done much to popularize it. I am not 
sure if the true variety has been fruited in the north, but forms 
which are evidently the same bear well in New York. The illus- 
tration in Plate II is made from specimens received from Mr. 
Berckmans. 

5. Berger.—Fruit very small and globular, bright uniform 
red, with a firm, meaty and sweet yellow flesh and a very small 
free stone, ripening as early as the middle of July in some parts 
of New York and Connecticut. 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 21 


The picture shown here and upon the title-page is natural size. 
The fruit is very distinct in appearance and cannot be mistaken 
for any other Japanese plum which I have seen. Mr. Berckmans 
sends it to me without a name, saying that it came from H. H. 
Berger & Co., of San Francisco, as Red Nagate. N. S. Platt 
sends it from 
Connecticut as 
Satsuma, the. 
name ,under 
which it was re- 
ceived from Ber- 
Pere its Comes 
from the south 
(also originally 
from Berger) as 
Shiro Smomo. I 

Berger. Full size. also have it from 
Western New York, unnamed. ‘T. V. Munson, Texas, sends speci- 
mens which he calls the Berger, and I have adopted his name, 
although Ido not know ifhehas published it. Hewrites as follows 
of it: ‘‘ The Berger plum isan upright, cherry-like tree. It bearsa 
purple fruit about the size of the Black Tartarian cherry, with 
meaty flesh, nearly free stone which is as small as the pit of the 
common Black Morello cherry and much the same shape.’ Mr, 
Berckmans says that the ‘‘tree is very vigorous and distinct in 
growth, but ashy bearer. The fruit is too small to be worthy of 
being retained.’’ What I have seen of this fruit, however, leads 
me.to believe that it may bea useful sort for the home garden 
because of its earliness, daintiness and pleasing flavor. Professor 
Georgeson, to whom I have submitted specimens, pronounces it 
a Sumomo. 

Blood: see Satsuma. 

Botan : see Abundance, Babcock, Berckmans, and Willard. 'Tnere 
are evidently other plums in the country passing as Botans which 
are little known and which have not received distinctive names. 

Botankio: see Badcock. 

6. Burbank.—Medium, to rather large upon thinned trees, 
roundish conical in form, the point generally blunt ; ground color 


22 BULLETIN 62. 


orange-yellow, mostly rather thinly overlaid with red and show- 
ing many yellow dots, often more or less marbled, in the sun be- 
coming rather dense red; flesh firm and meaty, yellow, rich and 
sugary, cling. Strongly resembles Abundance both in fruit and 
tree, but the fruit averages larger and of better quality, rather 
handsomer in its varied markings, and is from two to four weeks 
later. Exceedingly productive. One of the best of the Japans. 

Imported by Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, California, late in 
1885, and named for him by H. EK. Van Deman. See Rept. Dept. 
Agr. 1891, p. 392, where it is also given a good colored plate. 
Generally introduced in 1890. ‘The accompanying illustration 
shows the prevailing form of the Burbank, half-size. 

7. Burbank No. r.—Said to resemble Berckmans. I do not 
know it. 


Burbank. Half size. 
8. Burbank No. 2.—Described as of medium size, regular and 
globular in shape, yellow overspread with purplish carmine, with 
a yellow very juicy flesh which is fine-grained and of good qual- 
ity ; pit nearly free. Very early. This variety is not reported 
in any recent tests. 

Burbank No. 3: see fZale. 

Burbank No. 4: see Hezkes. 

9. Chabot.—Medium to large,oblong-conical ; pink-red in color 
with many very fine gold dots; flesh yellow and juicy, rather acid, 
of good quality,cling; medium to late in season ; very productive. 

Ripe in this latitude early in September. 

Imported from Japan by Mr. Chabot, of Berkeley, California, 
but introduced to the trade by Luther Burbank in 1886. ‘‘ Hspec- 
ially valuable for drying.’’—ABurbank. 

10. Delaware.—Roundish conical, medium in size, purplish 
bronze in color with a white bloom ; flesh wine-color, juicy, com- 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 23 


-bining many flavors. Trees semi-dwarf, very productive. Cata- 
logued amongst Luther Burbank’s novelties, BO: Said to bea 
cross of Satsuma and Kelsey. é 

11. Hngre.—Said to be a small round, red fruit, ripening 
early. ‘Tree very vigorous. Little known. 

12. Georgeson (Hattonkin No. 1).—Medium or above in size, 
oblong and more or less conical, clear golden yellow and some- 
what translucent in texture, with a good yellow flesh, cling ; very 
early, probably the earliest of the yellow varieties. 

Imported by H. H. Berger & Co., of San Fran@s Sco,and brought 
to notice chiefly by J. L. Normand, Marksville, La. It is closely 
allied to Kerr, but averages somewhat larger, is a week or two 
weeks earlier,is less pointed, and the tree is apparently less produc- 
tive. Now named for Professor C. C. Georgeson, Manhattan, 
Kansas, who has published critical studies of Japanese fruits. 

13.0 7/ale (Burbank No. 3).— Medium in size, globular or 
slightly flattened, scarcely if at all pointed, rather light bright 
uniform red; flesh red, firm and sweet, tightly clinging to the pit. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1885, together with Heikes, 
which see. Mr. Burbank writes me that he disposed of this - 
and No. 4 after they had fruited in the nursery row, and that he 
now has no knowledge of them. As they have passed entirely 
out of his hands, I take the liberty to give them names. Both 
are very much like Satsuma, but are a few days later and appear 
to bloom earlier; and they are also less pointed, and somewhat 
different in leaf. Named for J. H. Hale, a well-known nursery- 
man and fruit grower of Connecticut and Georgia. 

Hattankio: see Kerr and Munson. 

Hattonkin No. 1: see Georgeson. 

Hattonkin No. 2: see Kerr. 

14. Hetkes (Burbank No. 4).—Much like Hale, but rather 
more flattened on the ends or oblate, mostly darker in color, the 
flesh acid. 

Named for W. F. Heikes, of the Huntsville Nurseries, Hunts- 
‘ville, Ala. See remarks under Hale, above. 

Hytan-Kayo: see M/unson. 

15. Hovo Smomo.—A name used by J. L. Normand, Louisi- 
ana. I do not know the fruit. 


24 BULLETIN 62, 


16. Kelsey.—Very large (2-3 in. diam.) and long-pointed, 
tapering gradually from a heart-shaped base, usually somewhat 
lop-sided, with a deep furrow-like suture ; color bright red-purple 


LD, 
ES 


Kelsey. Three-fourths natural size. 


on a yellow ground, more or less marked with dots, very showy ; 
flesh light yellow and rather firm, rich and pleasant in flavor, free 
or only slightly clinging to the small stone, more or less hollow. 

The first Japanese plum introduced into this country (see page 
3), but it did not attract much attention outside of California 
until about ten years ago. It was figured by Mr. Van Deman in 
Dept. of Agr. Rept. for 1886, plate X, and again (colored) in 
Report for 1887, plate I; also in Wickson’s California Fruits, p. 
351. Its behavior is not uniform in different years. F. M. Ram- 
sey, of Lampasas, Texas, writes me that in 1888, his Kelsey 
ripened in September, in 1889 in July, andin 1890 in June. L,. 
A. Berckmans, Georgia, says* that in 1887 the Kelsey did not 
mature until October 1st; in 1889 it ripened in July; in 1890 it 
‘“began to ripen the latter part of July and continued for eight 
weeks,’’ and on October ist perfectly green specimens were on the 
trees. -I shall expect to learn that under some conditions the tree 


* Proc. 14th meeting, Ga. Hort. Soc. (1889) 52. 


PLATE I. Abundance, grown in New York. 


( Sweet Botan) Plums, 


llard and Berckmans 


Wi 


PLATE IL 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. © 25 


has a more or less prolonged or continuous habit of bloom. In 
California the tree is said to be nearly evergreen. The reports as 
to its hardiness are equally conflicting. I have not yet had good 
proof that the Kelsey has fruited north of North Carolina. J. 
Van Lindley says* that last year in North Carolina his Kelsey 
trees ‘‘were loaded with fruit, large and fine, quality of the very 
best.’’ It ripened from the first to the last of August. ‘‘ The 
Kelsey,’’ he continues, ‘‘stands at the head for canning and pre- 
serving, and sells in any market at fancy prices, but it comes into 
competition with other fruits grown north.’’ Kelsey has been 
killed by cold in northern Texas; on the other hand, the trees 
are said to have come through the winter with little injury in 
Iowa. My first experience with the Kelsey was at Lansing, 
Michigan, where the trees killed to the snow line the first winter. 
Professor Tamari, of Tokio, says that the variety is too tender 
for the northern plum sections of Japan. Mr.H. H. VanDeman, 
formerly pomologist of the Department of Agriculture, wrote me 
‘upon the hardiness of Kelsey, in 1892, as follows: ‘‘My present 
opinion is that it is about as hardy as the fig. All reliable 
information that has come to this office up to this date is to the 
effect that it is not suitable to the northern states because of its 
tenderness. I know from personal observation that between here 
{ Washington] and Baltimore trees have been seriously injured by 
winter-killing. Occasionally I have heard of Kelsey plum trees 
withstanding severe cold, but in every case yet followed up, it has 
been found that the trees were not correctly named.’’ I am 
inclined to think, however, that the Kelsey will sometimes endure 
a New York winter if the wood has been well ripened; but I 
doubt if it will ever bear in this State. 

The accompanying engraving of Kelsey, three-fourths natural 
size, is made from specimens received from Florida. 

17. Kerr (Hattonkin No. 2. Hattonkin of Berckmans and 
others).—Medium to large, generally very strongly conical with 
a deep suture; color orange-yellow, with a creamy bloom; flesh 
juicy and sweet, good in quality, cling ; early. 

An excellent variety, but not tested in the north. It varies 
considerably in shape, even on the same tree, occasional speci- 


*Thirteeth Rep. N. Car. Hort. Soc. (193) 20. 


26 BULLETIN 'O23 


mens occurring without the point. Mr. Berckmans writes me 
that in 1890 the round form seemed to predominate, while in 1892 
the pointed or normal form alone was produced. Imported from 
Japan by Frost & Burgess, Riverside, California. Now named 
for J. W. Kerr, of Denton, Maryland, one of the most intelligent 
plum growers of the central states. 


hs: 


CAPES TL ALPE SIZE: 


18. Late Blood.—Small, round, dark purple, with red flesh, 
clingstone, fair in quality, late. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1888. 

19. Long Fruit.—Very small, roundish in shape, red, early 
and said to be a shy bearer. Imported by Luther Burbank in 
1885, but very little known. 

20. Maru (Masu. Massu).—Medium size, round or somewhat 
flattened ; orange-red or vermillion ; flesh yellow, of fair quality, 
free or nearly so; ripens with Berckmans. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1885. Commonly called 
Masu, but erroneously. Maru means vound. ‘‘Coarse and acid 
with hard lumps, but good canned—about equal to Lombard. 
Hardier in bud than any other Japanese plum tested here. Bore 
in 1891 when Abundance and all other Japs., as well as Kieffer 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 27 


pears, were killed in the bud.’’—C. 1. Stark, Louisiana, Mo. 
Berckmans says that it is sometimes pointed. 

21. Munson (Hattankio, of Munson, at least in part. Hytan- 
Kayo of Whitaker, probably).—A large broad-conical fruit, 
purple or purple-red, with a yellow flesh of excellent quality ; 
freestone or nearly so ; medium early and prolific. 

J. IT. Whitaker, of Tyler, Texas, introduced his Hytan-Kayo 
in 1886. ‘There seems to be a mixture in this purple Hattankio, 
for our fruit this year (trees from Munson) was yellow. This 
is not strange, however, when one considers the utter confusion 
in which the Japanese plums, and especially the Hattans, have 
lain: I know of only one purple variety, however, which is com- 
monly called a Hattan or Hattankio, and this is the one which I 
have here named for Mr. Munson. The Rochester Lithograph- 
ing Co. has a plate of this plum. 

22, Normand (Normand Yellow. Normand’s Japan).—Medium 

PRE Sesame ae to large, obtusely 
: conical with a heart- 
like base and short 
stem; color clear 
golden yellow; flesh 
firm and meaty, 
yellow, of high 
quality, free from 
the small pit. Very 
= prolific, and ripens 
= eiister aitem,  Dercis- 
Normand. One-third size. mans and Abund- 


ance, Allied to Georgeson and Kerr, but later, and (less ‘conical 
than the latter. 

Imported by J. L. Normand, Marksville, La., and,by him dis- 
seminated under the name of Normand’s Japanin 1891. The 
cut is from specimens grown by Mr. Normand. 

23. Ogon (Ogan).—Fruits medium in size, flattened [at ; the 
ends or tomato-shaped, not at all conical, the suture prominent ; 
color clear lemon yellow with a light creamy bloom giving the 
fruit a whitish appearance; flesh thick and very meaty, not juicy, 
firm and keeping long, of second or third quality, entirely free 
from the stone. ‘Tree only moderately productive, or in some 


28 


BULLETIN 62. 


An early yellow freestone plum. 


. 
ele 


1 


Full s 


Ogon. 


regions even shy. Early, 
ripening in New York 
from late July to the 
middle of August. Ex- 
cellent for canning. 

Imported by H. H. 
Berger & Co., San Fran- 
cisco. One of the best 
known varieties. The 
illustration shows good 
specimens natural size. 

24. Orient. — Large, 
broadly conical ; red, very 
highly colored ; flesh yel- 
low, of high ‘quality, 
Ripens soon after Bur- 
bank. Introduced in 
the fall of 1893 by Stark 
Bros.,  Louisianayysiio: 
Figured in American 
Gardening xiv. (1893), 
Pp. 7308. 

25. Perfection. —Fruit 
rather large, oblong-con- 
ical, bright carmine with 
white bloom; flesh fine, 
firm and sugary, excel- 
lent; pit very small; 
good keeper and very 
productive. One Ao¢ 
Luther Burbank’s novel- 
ties,'93. Said to be cross 
of Kelsey with Burbank. 

Red June: see Red 
Nagate. 

26. Red Nagate (Red 
June. Shiro-Smomo, of 
some).—Fruits medium, 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 29 


prominently elongated and conical with a well marked suture; 
color deep red-purple, nearly uniformly distributed; flesh very 
firm and meaty, yellow, of good quality, cling; very early, ripen- 
ing with Ogon, and extremely productive, handsome and 
good. . 

Imported by H. H. Berger & Co., San Francisco. Stark Bros., 
Missouri, say that this is the most valuable early Japanese plum 
they know, being comparatively free from rot and much earlier 
than Abundance. ‘The nomenclature of the variety here de- 
scribed is much confused. H. H. Berger & Co., write me that 
the true Japanese Red Nagate has red flesh, which this has not. 
This is the variety to which the name Shiro Smomo is oftenest 
applied, but it is neither a Sumomo plum nor is it white (Shiro 
means whzte), thus affording a curious instance of the utter con- 
fusion of the American application of the names of the Japanese. 
plums. Professor Georgeson tells me that the Shiro Sumomo of 
the Japanese is a small white early plum with yellow flesh, some- 
what cling and of medium season. I do not know if it occurs in 
this country; and it is probably not worth while to endeavor to 
fit the name to any variety. The Ogon is probably the nearest to 
it of any variety in this list. : 

27. Satsuma (Blood. Yonemomo).—Size medium to rather 
large, broadly conical with a blunt, short point, suture very deep; 
color very dark and dull red all over, with greenish dots and an 
under-color of brown-red ; flesh blood-red, rather coarse and acid, 
fair to good in quality, tightly clinging to the pit; midseason, 
productive. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1886. Figured in Pomol- 
ogist’s Report, Rept. Dept. Agr. 1887, Plate I (colored), and 
also in Wickson’s California Fruits, 351, the latter copied from 
the former. I have never seen a Satsuma with such a small pit 
as represented in these cuts, nor of the same shape. The fruit 
appears to be uniform in shape and markings, and varies little 
from that shown, nearly natural size, in the engraving on page 30. 
The Satsuma is hardy in the northern states. Stark Bros., Lou- 
isiana, Mo., write that it blooms too early with them and is not 
so hardy as some others. ‘This belongs to the Beni-Smomo group 
of the Japanese, which is characterized by red flesh. One of 


BULLETIN 62. 


30 


paysayf-par uo 


-az1s qqnf 


}- 


LDIN 


“mngig 


ssuyo Y 


DULNSJDS 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. cee 


these plums is known in Japan as Yonemomo, and Mr. Berck- 
mans has used the name for this variety; but there is no proof 
that this particular Satsuma is the Yonemomo of Japan. 

Shiro Smomo: see Red Nagate and Berger. 

28. Shipper.—Fruit oval, light red with a white bloom ; flesh 
very firm (red?), sweet and juicy; long keeper. Tree sturdy, 
but a moderate grower. Described with Burbank’s Novelties, 
1893. Seedling of Satsuma. 

29. Strawberry.—‘ Small, round-oblate, red-purple, with a 
firm, yellow flesh, cling, very early, moderately productive. 
Earliest sort fruited here,—ripe with the last of the strawberries.”’ 
C. M. Stark, Loutsiana, Mo. 

There is another and older Strawberry plum, one of the Chick- 
asaws (see p. 31, Bull. 38). 

Sweet Botan: see Berckmans. 

True Sweet Botan: see Berckmans. 

30. Uchi-Bent (Ura-Beni. Honsmomo).—Medium in size, 
_heart-shaped and somewhat pointed, bright carmine-red ; flesh 
red and fine-grained, somewhat acid, rather poor in quality, cling; 
rather early. 

Little known. Uchi-Beni means znside red. 

White-Fleshed Botan: see Berckmans. 

31. Willard (Botan No. 26).—Medium in size, spherical in 
general outline but prominently cornered or angled, never pointed, 
the sinus very slight but stem cavity deep; color dark clear red 
with many minute yellow dots; flesh rather firm, yellow, sweet 
and of fair quality; freestone. A strong vigorous and hardy tree, 
productive, and the earliest market Japan plum yet tested in the 
north, ripening in central New York latein July. In appearance 
the.fruit is remarkably like some of the improved types of Prunus 
Americana. Fruits ripened upon the tree are of pretty good 
quality, but some which I ripened in-doors were poor. 

Cions procured from California six or seven years ago by S. D. 
Willard, Geneva, N. Y., and named for him by W. F. Heikes in 
Practical Nurseryman, June, 1893. It was probably imported 
from Japan, but the history of it islost. The illustration in Plate 
II shows average specimens, full size. 

Yellow-Fleshed Botan: see Abundance . 


32 BULLETIN 62. 


32. Yellow Japan.—This name occasionally appears, but I do 
not know the fruit. Burbank and another red plum have been 
sold under this name. | 

33. Yellow Nagate.—Unknown to me. 

- Yonemomo: see Satsuma. 

34.  Yosebe (Yosobe).—Small, conical, with a distinct suture, 
reddish purple in color, the yellow flesh soft and good; pit free 
or very nearly so; very early, ripening before the Ogon. Tree 
rather dwarf, with leaves comparatively small and rugose and 
very prominently serrate, yellowish green in color, and condupli- 
cate or trough-shaped as they hang uponthetree. ‘Twigs reddish. 

Imported by H. H. Berger & Co. ‘Too small to be very valu- 
able, unless for its earliness. 

Luther Burbank catalogues amongst his novelties of 1893, an 
unnamed purple-leaved seedling of Kelsey; Golden, said to be a 
cross of Robinson (Chickasaw) and Sweet Botan; Juicy, of same 
parentage; an unnamed variety, said to bea cross of Botan by 
Robinson ; and an unnamed cross of Kelsey by Satsuma. 

Weaknesses and Diseases.—Undoubtedly one of the most serious 
weaknesses of the Japanese plums is their very early season of 
bloom. Thisis particularly noticeable in the middle and southern 
states, where the buds are ready to burst with the very first warm 
days of spring. In the north, where the soil is colder and the 
unseasonable ‘‘ warm spells’ are of comparatively short duration, 
this tendency to early bloom is less marked. Yet some of the 
Japanese varieties seem to be especially given to early awakening 
in the spring. I have not heard of serious trouble in this respect 
in New York, but many of the varieties are not yet bearing in 
this state. The following records of habitual injury from spring * 
frosts have been received from correspondents : 


VARIETIES LIABLE TO INJURY BY SPRING FROSTS. 
Observer. Varieties injured. 

J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, Monmouth Co., N.J. Abundance, Burbank, Kel- 
sey, Ogon,Satsuma. 

J. W. Kerr, Denton, Carolina Co., Md., _ Botankio (Babcock?), Bur- 
bank, Chabot, Kelsey. 

J. S. Breece, Fayetteville, Cumberland Co.,N.C. Kelsey, Satsuma. 

J. L. Normand, Marksville, Avoyelles Co., La. Satsuma. 

Stark Bros., Louisiana, Pike Co., Mo., Kelsey, Satsuma. 


- 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 3a 


T. V. Munson, Denison, Grayson Co., Tex., Botankio (Babcock?) Mun- 
son, Kelsey, Red Nagate. 
ie lew iieker, byler, Smith Co., Tex., Kelsey. 


F. M. Ramsey, Lampasas, Lampasas Co.,Tex., Kelsey. 
A.M.Ramsey & Son, Mahonet,Burnet Co.,Tex., Kelsey. 
H. M. Stringfellow. Hitchcock, Polk Co.,Tex., Kelsey. 
G. Onderdonk, Nursery, Victoria Co., Tex., Kelsey, Satsuma. 


The following record of the actual dates of blooming of the 
Japanese plums has been prepared for me by J. W. Kerr, of the 
Chesapeake peninsula. It will be seen that some of them bloom 
asearly as Pissardii and Simonii, which are known as very early 
bloomers. 


RECORD OF DATES AT WHICH ORIENTAL PLUMS BLOOMED AT 
EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES, DENTON, CAROLINE CO., 


MD., 1892. 
Date when first | Date when half |Date when all, or|- 
Variety. open blossom of buds were nearly all were 
appeared. open. out. 
WCISE WEES leet ccah vcdewesssep ness: apt +7 Apr. 15 Apr. 20 
OCA iiss: vey ca tot voc tuarnd: ee 6 ne ips ae ts: 
OPO eemicicts sone «xs eM ediee «ee oe 16 eo tea. 
MVEA aimee ae tra cena pats ISH ae! nara 6 aS ee} 
CHE IOC Rec. beivte enna aersic sds Mae) Aes ran >) 
BBOtAt eli cdi a fettedic een sasy tech ate ee ete & a oko 
MOU AT RAD Hastie dansdspiegees is ah Ley SAAS PERO 
DO SOIICH tins skies. votes ei dans Re Ea LO ie ES Coe 
Webi Bent ........ Bea Tatoo SEO bee eye, 
Shiro Smomo ......... Be. See ae | int G + A 
PSOE PON C:..s. pees aaas er es 0 Eaey6 ge 79) 
DCLG IW: JADA. crete ds silesessens MeN TRE tho ‘eae. 
PEEP IOMTTR Ot nidlaatalate len Sx 82h swede op ends, oUsATL Ue fe" 
BNE ROSENTUL CE 12 Sarde soa sae sala aes nciye ap see e ree ae, ea 
/Engre Et sp eennenn yams vba eee so es eons 2 
Pissarait. ...... eee Ar ao, oer SPO te: eeuerd 
EPL OEL A > own obcisd otek nap aeesees ‘8 ie ng heats 2 


Some, at least, of the Japanese plums are much subject to fruit- 
rot, and this appears to be specially true of the Abundance, 
particularly when it is not well thinned. Mr. Kerr writes me 
under date of July 5, 1892, that ‘‘there is not a single variety of 
the Japanese plums that is holding its fruit, except Botan, and 
even they are rotting very rapidly and I doubt if a perfect spect- 
men will go through. Bordeaux mixture seems to avail nothing 


34 BULLETIN 62. 


as a remedy forthe rot. Notwithstanding failures in general this, 
year, I have begun shipping Chickasaws, of which I havea good 
crop.’ ‘These plums are evidently not more subject to rot than 
many varieties of Domesticas, however, and I doubt if they are 
so much injured, as a rule, as the Lombard. 

It has been said that these plums, or some of them, are curcu- 
lio proof; but this is an error. Yet they often appear to escape 
much of the excessive injury which falls to the Domestica varie- 
ties. The following note from the Rural New- Yorker bears upon 
this point. I saw the tree here described, upon the editor’s 
grounds, just before the fruit was ripe, and it appeared to be free 
from curculio injury : 

“The Abundance plum (August 4) at the Rural grounds is a 
sight to behold. The branches are wreaths of fruit, and they, as 
well as the tree itself, are held up by props and ropes. Some of 
the plums are beginning to color; all are of good size, and, though 
‘the old marks of the curculio sting are engraved upon most of 
them, no injury seems as yet to have resulted. For twenty years, 
off and on, the Rural New- Yorker has tried so-called curculio 
proof plums. We have never used insecticides nor jarred the 
trees to destroy them, and we have never before had a crop of 
plums. Plums are not raised in the vicinity simply because the 
people are not willing to put themselves to the trouble of jarring 
the trees, and they know from experience that they cannot raise 
plums without doing so. Now here we have the Abundance 
loaded down with beautiful fruit, while not a precaution has been 
taken to destroy the curculio. Blessed be the Abundance! It is 
well named.”’ 

So far as I have been able to learn, none of the varieties are ser- 
iously attacked by black-knot, although the disease occurs on 
them. ‘This circumstance, however, should not be dwelt upon too 
strongly, for it is possible that the exemption is largely accidental. 
Yet I have seen perfectly healthy trees on the Hudson River where 
allthe common plums in the neighborhood were seriously injured. 
The varieties appear to be nearly exempt from leaf-blight, also. 

The Japanese plums are commonly budded upon the peach, and 
so far very few complaints have reached me from failure of the 
union; but I shall be surprised if as strong and permanent results 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS. 35 


come from the use of this stock as from the use of their own 
seedlings or Domestica stocks. 


REVIEW. 


1. Twenty-four years ago a plum was introduced into Cali- 
fornia from Japan which proved to belong to a species heretofore 
unknown in America. It was first fruited by the late John 
Kelsey, of Berkeley, California, and for him it was named. It 
began to attract wide attention about ten years ago. 

2. This plum belongs to the species Prunus triflora, which is 
supposed to be native to China, but which is unknown in a wild 
state. Subsequent importations have been made from Japan, and 
at the present time about thirty varieties are more or less known 
and disseminated. 

3. These Japanese plums are distinguished from the common 
Domestica plums by their generally more pointed or heart-shaped 
fruit which has a deep groove or suture upon one side, by a long- 
er-keeping flesh and generally a less winged pit. In other botan- 
ical features they differ in commonly bearing three or more winter 
buds at a joint, instead of one, in the light colored rough bark, 
flowers usually in twos or threes, leaves long-obovate or elliptic 
and finely serrate. They are closely allied in botanical characters 
to some types of native plums. 

4. ‘The nomenclature of the varieties is much confused, large- 
ly because the Japanese names are used for groups or classes and 
not for specific varieties ; and there is no uniformity even in the 
generic application of these names. It is essential to an exact 
understanding of this fruit, therefore, that the Japanese class- 
names be discarded in this country. 

5. While importations from Japan have been made freely, 
there are probably many more good varieties in that country 
which have not reached America; but we must look for most 
permanent progress in the future from American offspring. 

6. ‘The Japanese plums differ amongst themselves greatly in 
hardiness. The Kelsey is adapted only to the states south of 
Virginia and to the warmer parts of the Pacific Coast, but other 
varieties are fully hardy in parts of Connecticut, Ontario, New 
York and Iowa. 


36 BULLETIN 62. 


7. ‘The varieties now known to be hardy in the plum regions. 
of New York are Burbank, Abundance, Willard, Ogon, Satsuma, 3 
Chabot, Yosebe and Berger; and-others give promise of being as . 
hardy as these. ; 

8. The period of ripening of the various kinds extends over a 
long season, running, in New York, from the middle of July to 
the middle of September. The same variety does not always 
appear to ripen at the same period in successive years. This is | 
especially true of the Kelsey, which sometimes varies through a 
period of three months. In New York, the earliest market 
variety which has been tested appears to be Willard, followed 
closely by Ogon, then Abundance and Berckmans, and Burbank 
still later. Kelsey is generally the latest of all the varieties. 

9. . Most of the Japanese plums keep for several days, and 
some of them even for two weeks, after they are ripe. Satsuma 

is one of the best keepers known in the north. 
' 10. ‘The larger part of the varieties are red with deep yellow 
flesh, and the Satsuma, and a few varieties less known, have deep 
red flesh. There are only four well known yellow varieties. 
There are eight freestones, as follows: Ogon, Willard, Kelsey, 
Berger, Maru, Munson, Normand, Vosebe. 

11. The varieties which can be most confidently recommended 
at the present time are Abundance, Burbank, Willard, Kerr, | 
Berckmans, Maru, Red Nagate, Chabot, Satsuma and perhaps | 
Ogon. Kelsey is recommended for the south. 

12. The chief weaknesses of the Japanese plums are too early 
bloom of some varieties and lability to the fruit-rot fungus. 
Amongst their advantages are partial immunity from black-knot, 
and leaf-blight and often a partial freedom from curculio injury. 

13. Altogether, the Japanese plums constitute the most impor- 
tant type of fruit introduced into North America during the last 
quarter of a century, and they should receive careful tests in all 
parts of the country. L. H: BARE 


z et, dat tes Nyy ) 4 @ 


Bulletin 106. January, 1896. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
| ITHACA, N. VY. 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 


REVISED OPINIONS 


OF THE 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 


Burbank. Fage zi. 


By L. H. Bailey. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY. 
ITHACA, N. Y. 
1896. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL. 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN. 


Hon. A. D. WHITE, “ 
Professor I. P. ROBERTS, 
Professor I. P. ROBERTS, 
Professor G. C, CALDWELL, 
Professor JAMES LAW, - 
Professor A. N. PRENTISS, 
Professor J. H. COMSTOCK, 
Professor L. H. BAILEY, - 
Professor H. H. WING, 
Professor G. F. ATKINSON, 


Trustee of the University. 
oie ee Agricultural Society. 
Agriculture, 
Chemistry. 
Veterinary Science. 
Botany. 
Entomology. 
Horticulture. 
Dairy Husbandry. 
Cryptogamic Botany. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION, 


I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - - - Director. 
E. ry WILLIAMS, - - - - - - Treasurer. 
H. W. SMITH, - - - - - - Clerk. 
ASSISTANTS, 
M. V. SLINGERLAND,~ - - - - Entomology. 
G. W. CAVANAUGH, - - - - - Chemistry. 
E. G. LODEMAN, - - . - Horticulture. 
HK. J. DURAND, . - - - - Botany. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
The regular bulletins of the Station are sent free to all who request them. 


In 1895, the following Bulletins were issued: 


84. The Recent Apple Failures in western New York. 

85. Whey Butter. 

86. Spraying of Orchards. 

87. The Dwarf Lima Beans. 

88. Early Lamb Raising. 

89. Feeding Pigs. 

go. The China Asters. 

g1. Recent Chrysanthemums. 

92. Feeding Fat to Cows. 

93. The Cigar-Case-Bearer. 

94. Damping Off. 

95- Winter Muskmelons. 

96. Forcing-House Miscellanies. 

97. Entomogenous Fungi. 

98. Cherries. 

99. Blackberries. 
too. Evaporated Raspberries in western New York. 
1ol. The Spraying of Trees; with remarks on The Canker-Worm. 
1o2. General Observations Respecting the Care of Fruit Trees; Weeds. 
103. Soil Depletion in Respect to the Care of Fruit Trees. 
104. Climbing Cutworms in Western New York. 
105. Tests of Cream Separators. 


CORNELL UNIVERSITY, IrHaca; N. Y., Jan. 1, 1896. 


flonorable Commissioner of Agriculture, Albany. 

Str: The following account of the Japanese plums is sub- 
mitted for publication under the Experiment Station Extension 
Bill (Chapter 230, Laws of 1895). ‘There is universal interest in 
the Japanese plums amongst the fruit growers of western New 
York and it therefore seems to be wise to publish this bulletin, as 
_a sort of report of progress, even though thesubject is very much 
confused. It is hoped that the bulletin may tend to check further 
confusion, by bringing into one report an account of all the var- 
ieties which are now before the public. In making these studies 
of Japanese plums, I have depended quite as much upon the in- 
formation which I have gathered in many plantations about the 
state as I have upon our own tests. L. H. BAILEY. 


The illustrations in this bulletin show the fruits full size, but 
the reader must bear in mind the fact that pictures always look 
smaller, to the untrained eye, than the objects which they 
represent. 


re. 


6. Chase. (See page 73.) 


REVISED OPINIONS OF THE JAPANESE 
PLUMS. 


Two years ago this station published an account (Bulletin 62, 
‘“‘’The Japanese Plum in North America’’) of the Japanese plums 
as they were then known in this country. Our knowledge was 
very fragmentary and imperfect at the time, and it was not ex- 
pected that final conclusions could be reached respecting most of 
the questions which were uppermost in the public mind. Yet the 
confusion in which the whole subject lay was so great that it was 
thought better to publish such conclusions and facts as we pos- 
sessed rather than to allow the perplexities and the entangle- 
ments of nomenclature to increase. Many of the varieties which 
. were passing under indefinite class names were renamed, and the 
new nomenclature has been widely adopted by nurserymen. 

The interest in Japanese plums is unabated, and it now seems 
to be wise to again report upon the subject, adding the experiences 


of the two past seasons. It will be many years yet before the 
difficulties of nomenclature can be wholly cleared up, but an oc- 


casional report of progress may be expected to hasten the final 
outcome. A few varieties are now fairly well understood, and 
descriptions of these are printed in large type in this paper. I 
have attempted to add descriptions of all other varieties, in small- 
er type, for the purpose of bringing our scattered knowledge to- 
gether for convenient reference ; but many of these varieties I have 
not yet seen in fruit and I cannot, therefore, vouch for the ac- 
curacy of the descriptions. 

In my former report, I said that ‘‘altogether, the Japanese 
plums constitute the most important type of fruit introduced into 
North America during the last quarter of a century, and they 
should receive careful tests in all partsof the country.’’ Iam 
now more fully convinced of the truth of this statement than I 
was at that time; but some persons seem to have read it so care- 
lessly as to have obtained the idea that I recommend the Japanese 


6 BULLETIN 106. 


plums as superior to the old domestica or European types and to 
the natives. The latter classes were already well established a 
quarter century ago, when the Japanese sorts first came into the 
country, and their value is not lessened by the introduction of the 
Japanese type. Wherever the common domestica plums will suc- 
ceed, they are still the most valuable types, but some of the Jap- 
anese sorts can be added for variety with profit. ‘the Japanese 
type is adapted toa much wider range of _our country than the 
domestica plums are, and they introduce certain feattires which 
are invaluable everywhere. ‘The peculiarly desirable features 
presented by many of the Japanese plums, in various degrees, are 
earliness, great productiveness, almost complete freedom, so far, 
from black-knot and leaf-blight, long-keeping qualities and beauty 
of fruit. In quality they are generally inferior to the domes- 
ticas, although several of them compare favorably in this re- 
spect with the Lombard. The only other foreign species of fruit 
which has been lately introduced into this country and which ap- 
proaches the Japanese plums in importance, is the kaki or Jap- 
anese persimmon ; but this fruit is confined to the fig belt, whilst 
the plum thrives from Canada to the Gulf. A third Japanese 
fruit—introduced over a quarter century ago—the Japanese pear, 
is also important and a report on it may be expected from this 
station within the present year. 

It is yet too early, in my judgment, to recommend the exten- 
sive planting of the Japanese plums in this state, yet such varie- 
ties as Red June, Abundance, Burbank, and Chase seem to be 
safe to plant ; and to this lot may no doubt be added, as a second- 
choice list, Georgeson, Maru, Chabot, Ogon, Berckmans, Sat- 
suma. For very early, we might add Berger and Yosebe, and 
Willard. The two first are very small, and the last is very poor 
in quality. The experiences of one or two more seasons may 
modify this list considerably, but it represents the best informa- 
tion which I possess at the present moment, for New York. 

Those who desire a fuller exposition of the history and char- 
acteristics of the Japanese plums, may consult our Bulletin 62*. 


* The following additional historical notes may be added: ‘ D. E. Hough, 
who first received the Japanese plums in this country, had a small nursery in 
Vacaville, California, about 1870 to 1875. Professor Wickson writes: ‘‘ Mr. 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 7 


It may be said that the fear expressed in that bulletin that these 
plums may be found to bloom too early for safe cultivation in 
western New York, has proved to be unfounded. Farther south, 
however, and even in Ohio and Indiana, the habitual early bloom 
of some varieties renders them unsafe. The winters are more 
uniform in character here than they are farther south, and the 
“warm spells’’ of early spring are rarely pronounced enough to 
start the blossoms. It is probable, also, that the many large 
bodies of water in and about western New York exert a consider- 
able influence in retarding the fitful variations of early spring. I 
have yet to hear of any serious loss of Japanese plums through 
late spring frosts. ‘There was an abundant crop of them in many 
parts of western New York in 1895, notwithstanding the hard 
frosts of May. 


ABUNDANCE (Lovett, Catalogue, 1888). Figs. 1, 2. 
Botan, of some. 


Medium to large, globular to globular-oblong, generally with a 
distinct but minute point at the apex, often unequal-sided ; stem 
34 in. long; under-color yellow, overlaid with coppery red or with 
very bright pink-red on the exposed side, in well-colored spect- 
mens the entire surface reddened and the under-color almost com- 
pletely obscured or showing through only in dots and small flaky 
patches ; flesh firm, yet rather elastic and very juicy, sometimes 


Hough was a very expert budder and budded stock for others as well as on 
his own account, He was quite given to roving from place to place and 
turned over his acquisitions to other parties. He seems to have pulled up 
stakes in Vaca valley between his enlistment of the U. S. officer in Japan in 
getting the trees, and the arrival of the trees in San Francisco, and therefore 
he turned over the stock to John Kelsey. D. EH, Hough died about twelve 
years ago.”’ 

Mr. Burbank wrote me as follows, in 1894, respecting his first importation: | 
*““My collector whom I sent to southern Japan about Io years ago for the | 
Satsuma—of which, two years before, I had found a description in a book in t 
the Mercantile Library of San Francisco, written by a sailor—sent me about \ 
half or more of the Japan plums now in general cultivation. All collectors ‘ 
inform me that there were no nurseries until lately, and when an order was | 
given, the collector secured a few here and there, wherever they could be 
found. This accounts for the confusion of the names.’’ 


8 | BULLETIN 106. 


slightly stringy, light amber-yellow, sweet and fully as good as 
Lombard when well ripened, although sometimes having a slight 
musky flavor, the skin rather sour; cling. 

The above description is drawn from specimens received from 
Daniel Roberts, Keyport,. New Jersey, and from many New York 
samples which were indistinguishable from Roberts’ specimens. 
I wrote to Mr. Lovett for fruits from the original tree of Abund- 
ance ; he replied that the tree is not standing, but referred me to 
Mr. Roberts, whose trees 
were propagated from 
the original stock. Mr. 
Roberts sent me excel- 
lent samples, some of 
which I then sent to Mr. 
Lovett who wrote that 
the, fruit ““arfivedaiesa 
perfect condition, and is 
the true Abundance.’’ 
I was thus particular 
about the matter, be- 
cause there appear to be 
two if not three things 
sold in the country as 
Abundance; or else the 
variety is wonderfully 
modified by climate and 
= local conditions. This 
exact type of Abundance 
is much planted in west- 
ern New York. Itis the 
same variety which I described and figured in Bulletin 62. 

The Abundance makes a hardy, thrifty, upright-spreading tree, 
(Fig. 2). It is very productive, and the fruit generally needs 
thinning to bring it to perfection. Abundance ripened at Ithaca 
in 1895 the first week in August, over twé weeks ahead of 
Lombard, a week ahead of Burbank, three weeks later than 
Yosebe, two weeks later than Willard, and a week to ten days 
later than Red June. 


2.—Abundance tree, 6 years old. 


JAPANESE PLUuMs. 7 9 


I do not know if the Yellow-fleshed Botan is identical with 
Abundance. ‘This name was given by P. J. Berckmans to distin- 
guish a variety received by him from Luther Burbank under the 
name of Botan. ‘There were two varieties in the batch, and the 
other, with a lighter-colored and sweeter flesh was named, by Mr. 
Berckmans, Sweet Botan. ‘This latter is now called Berckmans. 
When Mr. Lovett sent out his Abundance, it was pronounced to 
_ be identical with Vellow-fleshed Botan by Mr. Berckmans. ‘‘I 
have seen trees that were received from Lovett,’’ Mr. Berckmans 
writes, ‘‘ whose fruit was identical with Yellow-fleshed Botan.’’ 
The Yellow-fleshed Botan fruits which Mr. Berckmans has sent 
me several times, seem to differ from the Abundance, as grown 
here, in the yellower color, less prominent point at the apex, and 
shorter stem, but these differences may all be due to climate or 
other local environments. I often notice that plums may be 
shorter-stemmed when grown in the south than when grown in the 
north, In specimens which I have received from Berckmans, the 
Yellow-fleshed Botan has a lighter-colored flesh than the Berck- 
mans. We have trees of the Yellow-fleshed Botan growing, and 
shall soon be able to determine its relationship to Abundance. 


BasBcock (Lazley, Cornell Bull. 62, p. 19, 1894). 


Botankio and Botan, of some. 

‘* Medium to large (114-134 in. diam.), round-conical; skin yellow overlaid 
with purplish red, rather thick ; flesh deep orange and solid, a little coarse, 
sweet, of good flavor and quality, cling; rather late, ripening about with the 
Burbank, or about a week earlier than Chabot in the south. 

‘Imported in 1885 by Luther Burbank. Now named for Col. E. F. Bab- 
cock, a well-known nurseryman of Little Rock, Arkansas, and among the 
first to grow and recommend the variety.’’—Aulletin 62. 

I have never seen a fruit which I could refer to this variety. I substituted 


the name Babcock for the loosely applied Botankio, drawing my description 


very largely from notes furnished me by Colonel Babcock. Our own variety | 
_ bought as Botankio turns out to be Abundance. 


BAILEY (/. ZL. Normand, Catalogue, 1891). 


‘‘ Large, nearly globular, with only a slight tendency to become conical ; 
ground-color rich orange, overspread with light and bright cherry red, and 
showing many minute orange dots; flesh thick and melting, yellow, of ex- 
cellent quality, cling. Tree strong and upright, productive. Closely related 
to Burbank, but rounder and mostly larger, and a week or more later. 

“Imported by J. L. Normand, Marksville, Louisiana, and by him named 


10 BULLETIN 106. 


and introducedin 1891. Figured in American Gardening, xiii. (1892), p. 700. 
There appears to be another Bailey plum of the domestica type. I know it 
only from a plate made by Dewey of Rochester and who declares that it 
‘has not failed to bear for twenty-five successive years.’ The Rochester 
Lithographing Co., successors to Dewey, write me that this plate was in 
Dewey’s stock before 1886, but that they know nothing further about it.’”?— 
Bulletin 62. 

I have not yet fruited this variety, but I have received it from several 
sources. Mr. Berckmans regards it as identical with Chabot. It is also re- 
markably like the Chase, and Hoyo Smomo. It is possible that all these 
four names belong to the same plum. It is evidently a good plum, whatever 
its proper name may be found to be. 


BERCKMANS (Batley, Cornell Bull. 62, p. 20, 1894). 


True Sweet Botan. 
Sweet Botan. 
White-fleshed Botan. 
Botan, of some. 

Medium (or slightly above if thinned), broadly and obtusely 
conical and somewhat angular in cross-section ; dull deep blood 
red if ripened in the sun, sometimes with yellowish patches on the 
shaded side; flesh very sweet, moderately juicy or dry; cling or 
semi-cling ; ripens with Abundance or just ahead of it. Becomes 
too dry when very ripe. | 

Introduced by Luther Burbank in 1887, from imported stock. 
The variety does not appear to be a true Botan, and its nomen- 
clature is so confused and indefinite that I renamed it for Mr. 
Berckmans, who, to distinguish it from another variety which was 
also received under the name of Botan (see remarks on Yellow- 
fleshed Botan, under Abundance), called it White-fleshed Botan. 
Mr. Berckmans considers it poor in quality, but as it is grown in 
the north it compares well with Abundance; and even the speci- 
mens which Mr. Berckmans has sent me seem to me to be superior. 
in quality to the Abundance which he has sent. Deeper and 
duller red than Abundance, lacks the point characteristic of that 
variety, and the flesh is much drier. Very productive. Figured 
in Bulletin 62. 


BERGER (Munson; Bailey Cornell Bull. 62, p. 20, 1894). 


Fruit very small and globular, bright uniform red, with a firm, 


JAPANESE PLUMS. II 


meaty and sweet yellow flesh and a very small free stone, ripen- 
ing the middle of July in New York. 

There has been much confusion respecting this plum. Mr. 
Berckmans once sent it to me without a name, saying that 
it came from H. H. Berger & Co., of San Francisco, as Red 
Nagate. N.S. Platt sent it from Connecticut as Satsuma, the 
mame under which it was received from Berger. It came from 
the south (also originally from Berger) as ShiroSmomo. I also 
have it from western New York, unnamed. T. V. Munson, 
Texas, sent specimens which he called the Berger, and I adopted 
his name and published it in Bulletin 62. He writes as follows 
of it: ‘‘The Berger plum is an upright, cherry-like tree. It 
bears a purple fruit about the size of the Black Tartarian cherry, 
with meaty flesh, nearly free stone which is as small as the pit of 
the common Black Morello cherry and much the same shape.’’ 
It falls from the tree as soon as ripe, leaving the stem on the tree. 
An interesting little fruit for the home garden, but too small for 


market. ‘There is a picture of it in Bulletin 62. See Yosebe. 
BLOOD: See Satsuma, 
BLOOD PLUM NO. 3. 
‘‘Fruit somewhat smaller than Satsuma, flesh very deep red and juicy, 
sweet ; middle of July; tree of very openstraggling growth.” —P. /. Berck- 


mans, Catalogue, 1895. 
BLoop PruM No. 4. 


‘‘ This corresponds with the description of HYonsmomo of the Agricultural 
Bureau of Tokio. Fruit medium, dark red flesh; July roth to 25th; tree of 
erect growth.’’—P. /. Berckmans, Catalogue, 1895. 

BoTan: See Abundance, Babcock, Berckmans, Willard. 
BOTANKIO: See Abundance and Babcock. 


BuRBANK (Van Deman, Rept. Dept. Agric. t89r, p. 392). 
Fig. on title page and Nos. 3 and 4. 

Medium, to rather large upon thinned trees, conical to oblong 
in form, the point generally blunt; ground-color orange-yellow, 
mostly rather thinly overlaid with red and showing many yellow 
dots, often more or less marbled, in the sun becoming rather 
dense red; flesh firm and meaty, yellow, not stringy, rich and 
sugary ; cling. As compared withAbundance, it is a week or 
two later, more oblong and lacking the peculiar point of Abund- 
ance, flesh firmer and not inclined to be stringy, and sweeter, 
lacking the slight muskiness of Abundance. Burbank is shaded 


iB 4 


BULLETIN 106. 


and splashed with dull maroon-red and is much spotted, the yel- 


low under-color being conspicuous. 


L 


3.—Burbank. From Luther Burbank, 
Santa Rosa, Cal. 


Abundance is a vivid pink- 
red, the yellow ground 
conspicuous only on the 
shaded side. In 1895, the 
Burbank on our grounds 
was less than a week later 
than Abundance, but the 
very dry season may have 
ripened it ahead of its 
usual season. 

A specimen of the Bur- 
bank sent by Luther Bur- 
bank, Santa Rosa, Cal., is 
shown natural size in Fig. 
3. It is very unlike the 
Burbank as grown in the 
east. The size is greater, 


and the color a deep claret red with minute golden dots. ‘The 
flesh was very thick, firm and meaty, and of excellent quality. 


The variety 
isea’ most 
sprawling, 
flat-topped or 
even drooping 
grower (Fig. 
4); and this 
habit  distin- 
guishes the 
variety from 
all other Jap- 
anese plums 
which we 
have grown. 


young, to keep it within bounds. 


4.—Burbank tree, 6 years old. 


The tree should probably be headed-in when 


The fruit generally needs 


thinning, for the tree is enormously productive. 
The Burbank was imported by Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, 
California, late in 1885, and named for him by H. EH. VanDeman. 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 13 


See Rept. Dept. Agr. 1891, p. 392, where it is also given a good 
colored plate. Generally introduced in 1890. 

The Russian plum 20 M, sent me by Professor Budd, is indis- 
tinguishable from Burbank. We have two trees of it, and they 
bore two or three bushels of plums this year. 

BURBANK NO. I. 

Said to resemble Berckmans. I do not know it. 

BURBANK NO. 2. 

‘*Described as of medium size, regular and globular in shape, yellow over- 
spread with purplish carmine, with a yellow very juicy flesh which is fine- 
grained and of good quality; pit nearly free. Very early. This variety is 
not reported in any recent tests.’’— Bulletin 62. 

‘*Burbank No. 2, from Berckmans, fruited in 1892 and since; no apparent 
difference between it and our Abundance.”’— Stark Bros., 1895. 

BURBANK NO. 3: see Late Blood. 
BURBANK No. 4: see Heikes. 
BURBANK NO. II. 

I know this only from specimens received the past summer from Stark 
Bros., Louisiana, Missouri. It looks very much like Willard Freestone or 
very nearly so. Dropseasily. Season of Red Lane, and said by Stark Bros. 
to be not worth propagating. 


CHaABoTt (Burbank). Fig. 5. 


Medium to large (size of Burbank), oblong-conical ; under-color 
orange, deeply overlaid with light cherry-red, the sunny side dark 
red, and many minute golden dots showing through the red over- 
color ; flesh yellow, rather soft, not stringy, sweet and of excellent 
quality, with no almond flavor; skin scarcely sour; cling. An 
excellent plum, ripening early in September in this latitude. 

Imported from Japan by Mr. Chabot, of Berkeley, California, 
but introduced to the trade by Luther Burbank in 1886. See Chase. 

CHABOT BLOOD. 

‘* A novel and remarkable addition to our fruits. The size is medium, 
stem very short, and of a brick red or cinnabar color; flesh firm, fine brick 
red color; very juicy and sweet, and with a peculiar aromatic flavor,’’— 
Catalogue California Nursery Co., Fourth Edition (recent: no date). 


CHASE (2. G. Chase Co., Catalogue, 1893). Fig 6. 
Hattonkin, of some. 
Yellow Japan, of some. 
Medium to large, heart-shaped ; under-color yellow (like Abun- 
dance) ,deeply overlaid with dull red and showing many, golden 


14 BULLETIN 106. 


dots, finally becoming uniformly dull red all over; bloom 
thick; flesh yellow, firm, rather juicy, sweet and good; skin 
rather tough; cling. The coloring is that of the Burbank, but 
the plum is more pointed and it is two or three weeks later, rip- 
ening in this latitude the first or second week in September. 

This very excellent plum was bought by the Chases for Abun- 


ee 


5.—Chabot. 


dance, but is about a month later than that variety. It is of the 
Chabot type and may not be distinct (see remarks under Bailey). 
The tree is a strong upright-spreading grower, and productive. 
It is considerably disseminated in New York under the name of 
Yellow Japan, although it isa red plum. Chase Co. speaks of 
the tree as ‘‘a good grower’’ and blooming ‘‘ two weeks later 
than Abundance, thus escaping the spring frosts.” 

DELAWARE (urbank, Catalogue, 1893 ) 


‘Roundish, conical, medium in size, purplish bronze in color with a white 
bloom; flesh wine-color, juicy, combining many flavors. Trees semi-dwarf, 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 15 


very productive. Catalogued amongst Luther Burbank’s novelties, 1893. 
Said to be a cross of Satsuma and Kelsey.’’—Aulletin 62. 


Douctas (2. A. Price, Bull. 32, Texas Exp. Sta. p. 488, 1894). 


Munson, of Bailey, Bull. 62, p. 27. 
Hytankayo, of Whitaker. 
Hattankio, of some. 

‘<Size rather large, conical, yellow with purple tinge; skin tough; flesh 
firm, flavor very good. Tree upright vigorous grower, hardy and very pro- 
ductive. Nearly free from attacks of insects and fungi.”’—Dr. Whitaker, 
Tyler, Texas, in Bull. 32, Texas Exp. Sta. 

Imported and introduced by Dr. Whitaker. The name Munson which I 
proposed for this plum in Bulletin 62, is antedated by another Munson plum 
of the Chickasaw type. . 

EARLIEST OF ALL (Stark Bros.) 
Yosebe, of some. 

‘Small to medium, globular; color a solid dark red; quality good; pit 
small, free. Fully ten days earlier than Red June. It drops as soon as col- 
ored. Our idea in growing this variety for market would be to shake the 
fruit on asheet and market in quart berry boxes. Very productive. Leaf 
very narrow, conduplicated and somewhat smaller than the Red June.’”’— 
Stark Bros, See Uchi-Beni. 

HNGRE. 

Fruit small, globular, red, almost exactly like Willard and of same season; 
poor. It seems to differ from Willard in foliage, however. The leaves are 
short and elliptic, whilst those of Willard are long and obovate. Little’ 
_ known. Two varieties seem to be passing under this name. 

EXCELSIOR (Cherokee Nursery Co.) 

*‘Aseedling of the Kelsey. Fruit large, round, 134 inches in diameter ; 
color reddish purple, with heavy blue bloom; flesh sweet, juicy, melting 
and of excellent quality. Ripens early in June. The trees of this variety 
had more fruit last year than any other variety, either native or foreign. It 
is undoubtedly a cross between the Kelsey and some variety of the Chicka- 
saw type. The tree is a very strong grower, symmetrical and handsome; a 
valuable variety.’’—Catalogue, Cherokee Nursery Co., Waycross, Ga. 

The fruits which I have seen were an inch and a half in diameter, round- 
conical, with a distinct small sharp point; stem slender ; color very bright 
dark red with many minute gold dots; flesh soft and watery, sweet; cling. 
The fruit and foliage suggest only the Wild Goose type (Prunus hortulana), 
but the pit suggests Kelsey. 

FURUGIYA. 

Name given, without description or comment, by J. L. Normand, Marks- 
ville, La., in ‘‘Special Circular of New Japan Plums and Rare Novelties,’’ 
1895-6. 


16 . BULLETIN 106. 


GEORGESON (Bailey, Cornell Bulletin 62, p. 23) Figs. 7 and 8. 


Hattonkin, No. 1. 
Hattonkin, of some. 
Hattankio, of some. 
Medium in size, or fairly large when thinned, variable in shape 


7.—Georgeson. 


but usually irregularly globular with a flattened apex but some- 
times obscurely conical; color’a clear rich uniform yellow, witha 
thin white bloom and minute whitish dots in the skin; flesh very 
firm, not juicy nor stringy, sweet and good; skin sour; strong 
clingstone. Ripe at Ithaca in 1895 the last days of August and 
first days of September, one or two weeks later than Burbank. I 
had it from Niagara County, New York, however, here in August. 
A very long keeper. Fairly productive. 

Tree (Fig. 8) a sprawling, forked grower, intermediate in form 
between Abundance and Burbank. The variety is well distribut- 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 17 


ed in western New York, under a variety of names. Imported 
by H. H. Berger & Co., San Francisco, and brought to notice 
chiefly by J. L. Normand, Marksville, La. 


GOLDEN (Surbank Catalogue, 1893). 


Said to be a cross of Robinson (a Chickasaw) and Kelsey. 


HALE (G. A. and /. H. Hale, 1895). 


“J, of Burbank. 
Prolific, of Burbank. 

A very handsome large round-cordate plum, usually lop-sided ; orange, 
thinly overlaid with 
mottled red, so as 
to have a yellow- 
ish red appearance, 
or, in well colored 
specimens, deep 
cherry-red with 
yellow specks; 

* flesh yellow, soft 
and juicy (yet a 
good keeper), not 
stringy, with ia 
very delicious 
slightly acid peachy 
flavor; skin some- 
what sour; cling. 
Very late. I know 
the fruit only from 
specimiens sent at 
two or three differ- 
ent times by Luther Burbank. To my taste, these specimens have been 
the best in quality of all Japanese plums, although Mr. Burbank regards it 
as inferior in this respect to Wickson (which see). Seedling of Satsuma. 

HATTANKIO: see Douglas, Georgeson, Kerr. 
HATTONKIN NO. 1: see Georgeson. 


HATTONKIN No. 2: see Kerr. 


i 
; 


HEIKES (Bailey, Cornell Bulletin 62, p. 23, 1894). 


Burbank No. 4. . 
Much like Late Blood, but rather more flattened on the ends; or oblate, 
mostly darker in color, the flesh acid. Little known. 
Named for W. F. Heikes, of the Huntsville Nurseries, Huntsville, Ala. 


8.—Georgeson, 6 years old. 


ae 
. ae 
i 4, ‘ 
: ey ae 


18 BULLETIN 106. 


HOUSMOMO. 
Name inserted in ‘‘ Special Circular’’ (1895-6) by J. L. Normand, without 
note or comment. (Misprint for Honsmomo? See Blood No. 4). 
Hoyo SMomo. 
Apparently identical with Bailey, which see. 
HYTANKAYO: see Douglas. 


Juicy (Burbank, Catalogue, 1893). 
Cross of Robinson (a Chickasaw plum) and Kelsey. 


Kxurszey (W. P. Hammon & Co., Oakland, Cal.). 


Very large (2-3 in. diam.) and long-pointed, tapering gradually 
from a heart-shaped base, usually somewhat lop-sided, with a 
deep furrow-like suture; color bright red-purple on a yellow 
ground, more or less marked with dots, very showy; flesh light 
yellow and rather firm, rich and pleasant in flavor, free or only 
slightly clinging to the small stone, more or less hollow above 
the pit. 

The first Japanese plum introduced into this country, but it did 
not attract much attention outside of California until ten or twelve 
years ago. It was figured by Mr. Van Deman in Dept. of Agr. 
Rept. for 1886, plate X., and again (colored) in Report for 1887, 
plate I. ; in Wickson’s California Fruits, p. 351; and in my Bul- 
letin 62. Its behavior is not uniform in different years. F. M. 
Ramsey, of Lampasas, Texas, writes me that in 1888, his Kelsey 
ripened in September, in 1889 in July, and in 1890 in June. L,. 
A. Berckmans, Georgia, says* that in 1887 the Kelsey did not 
-mature until October Ist; in 1889 it ripened in July; in 18go it 
‘began to ripen the latter part of July and continued for eight 
weeks,’’ and on October 1st perfectly green specimens were on the 
trees. It has a more or less prolonged or indefinite season of 
bloom. Luther Burbank (Santa Rosa, Cal.) writes: ‘ Kelsey 
blooms here all winter, from December to March.’ In California 
the tree is said to be nearly evergreen. 

There are still the most conflicting reports respecting the hard- 
iness of Kelsey. Some persons declare that it fruits in New York, 
but every report, when run down, shows that the party is mis- 
taken in the variety. The farthest north that I have known 


* Proc. 14th meeting, Ga. Hort. Soc. (1889) 52. 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 19 


Kelsey to fruit is in extreme southern Delaware. J. Van Lindley 
says* that in 1893 in North Carolina his Kelsey trees ‘‘ were 
loaded with fruit, large and fine, quality of the very best.’’ It 
ripened from the first to the last of August. ‘‘ The Kelsey,’’ he 
continues, ‘‘ stands at the head for canning and preserving, and 
sells in any market at fancy prices, but it comes into competition 
with other fruits grown north.’’ Kelsey has been killed by cold 
in northern Texas; on the other hand, the trees are said to have 
come through the winter with little injury in Iowa. My first ex- 
perience with the Kelsey was at Lansing, Michigan, where the 
trees killed to the snow line the first winter. Professor Tamari, 
of Tokio, says that the variety is too tender for the northern plum 
sections of Japan. Mr. H. E. Van Deman, formerly pomologist 
of the Department of Agriculture, wrote me upon the hardiness of 
Kelsey, in 1892, as follows: ‘‘ My present opinion is that it is 
about as hardy as the fig. All reliable information that has come 
to this office up to this date is to the effect that it is not suitable 
to the northern states because of its tenderness. I know from 
personal observation that between here [Washington] and Balti- 
more trees have been seriously injured by winter-killing. Occa- 
sionally I have heard of Kelsey plum trees withstanding severe 
cold, but in every case yet followed up, it has been found that the 
trees were not correctly named.’’ Iam inclined to think, how- 
ever, that the Kelsey will sometimes endure a New York winter 
if the wood has been well ripened ; but I doubt if it will ever bear 
in this State. 


The following correspondence to the California Fruit Grower 
(Sept. 14, 1885) still further explains the vagaries of the Kelsey: 


‘“« The Kelsey Japan plum is surely erratic in disposition,—more 
or less reliable. 

‘‘ My experience teaches me, however, that it bears much more 
regularly when in close proximity to some other variety of plum. 

‘“This is very marked, not only in outside rows, butin the cen- 
ter of the block. Wherever] have an odd tree of Satsuma, im- 
mediately surrounding that tree the Kelseys bear well. 

‘*It does better with very little pruning. 


* Thirteenth Rep. N. Car. Hort. Soc. (1893) 20. 


20 BULLETIN 106. 


‘‘It must be sprayed with a good fungicide once or twice a 
year to keep in check the shot-hole fungus. 

‘“TIt succeeds best in heavy, moist land, and preferablv in the 
coast or bay counties. 

‘‘In marketing it, great care must be taken as to when the 
fruit is picked. Some seasons it colors much more than others, 
hence the danger of waiting for color. 

‘‘T pick mine the very hour (if possible) that the slightest color 
is apparent. They will color up afterwards in the boxes before 
they reach destination—referring, of course, to the eastern 
markets. 

‘“My trees are picked over seven or eight times. 

‘‘ When the fruit sets very thickly it must be well thinned. 

‘“The prices have been very satisfactory to me. I am well 
repaid for the extra labor, the fruit netting me four cents to 
eight cents per pound. 

‘‘ Conditions and surroundings vary so much that I would not 
advise one way or the other. Almost any variety of plum or 
‘ prune could be grafted on Kelseys, where they are not profitable. 
Why not use Robe de Sargent, especially if the root is peach? 

‘‘ A double-worked Robe de Sargent tree is best, as it makes a 
larger tree, and larger fruit as well as more of it. 

“Tt will not unite directly on the peach, as is generally known, 
hence the suggestion to double work, using the Kelsey on peach 
root. LEONARD COATES.”” : 


NApA, Cal., September 9, 1895. 


George S. Higby, Poway, San Diego Co., California, writes as 
follows of the Kelsey: ‘‘I had the honor, I believe, of exhibit- 
ing the first specimens of Kelsey in San Diego county. The 
Kelsey is fast becoming a popular fruit in this county, and is 
adapted both to the sea-coast and inland valleys. I think that in 
the near future it may take a position equal to the French or Cali- 
fornia pr: ne as a dried fruit. A well ripened Kelsey has very few 
superiors.’’ 


KERR (Bailey, Cornell Bulletin 62, ~p. 25, 1894). 


Hattonkin No. 2. 
Hattonkin, of Berckmans and others. 
‘“Medium to large, generally very strongly conical with a deep 
suture ; color orange-yellow, with a creamy bloom; flesh juicy 
and sweet, good in quality, cling; early. 


7 
a 3 
a a 2 


DE er ey er Seal atieda: Sith Oath 
4 
j 
JAPANESE PLUMS. 21 


_ “An excellent variety, but not tested in the north. It varies 
considerably in shape, even on the same tree, occasional speci- 
mens occurring without the point. Mr. Berckmans writes me 
that in 1890 the round form seemed to predominate, while in 1892 
the pointed or normal form alone was produced. Imported from 
Japan by Frost & Burgess, Riverside, California. Named for J. 
W. Kerr, of Denton, Maryland, one of the most intelligent plum 
growers of the central states.’’—Aulletin 62. 

‘* Kerr is not only the earliest of the large-sized plums, but 
most excellent in quality. It partakes more of the Green Gage 
flavor than any other of the group.’’—P. /. Berckmans, 1895. 

Figured in Bulletin 62. 


LATE BLoop (Burbank, in early lists). 


Hale, of Bailey, Bulletin 62. 
Burbank No. 3. 

Medium in size, globular or slightly flattened, scarcely if at all pointed, 
rather light bright uniform red; flesh red, firm and sweet, tightly clinging 
to the pit. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1885, together with Heikes, which see. 
Mr. Burbank writes me that he disposed of this and No. 4 after they had 
fruited in the nursery row, and that he now has no knowledge of them. 
Very much like Satsuma, but a few days later and appears to bloom earlier ; 
also less pointed, and somewhat different in leaf. Little known. 


LATE Hatrankio (Cherokee Nursery Co., Waycross, Ga., tn letter, 1894). 


‘Color pale orange yellow, heavily covered with a white bloom. Suture 
very slight. Flesh dark yellow, very firm and somewhat dry with a slight 
astrinyency. Generally of poor quality and irregular shape. Ripe with us 
June 15th to 20th.” 
Lone Fruit (Burbank). 

Very small, roundish in shape, red, early and said to be a shy bearer. 
Thought by some to be the same as Engre. Others say that it is the same as 
Red June. Possibly two things are propagated under this name Stark 
Bros. write of it: ‘‘ Equally small or smaller than your cut of Berger [in 
Bull. 62], and very acrid.’? Imported by Luther Burbank in 1885, but very 
little known. 


Maru (Burbank.) Fig. 9. 


Masu and Massu. 
Medium in size, depressed-globular with an obtuse point ; very 


22 BULLETIN 106. 


dark uniform maroon-red with numberless minute golden dots; 
flesh deep yellow, rather soft, with a musky flavor which is not 
disagreeable, sweet, but quality only medium ; skin sour; cling 
to half cling. Often acid in flavor. Season of Abundance. Said 
to be very hardy in bud. 


9.—Maru. 


Imported by Luther Burbank in 1885. Maru is Japanese for 


vound, 
MIKADO. 
‘It is a large, golden yellow plum when ripe, and samples measured seven 
and one-quarter inches in circumference. It is considered now as the most 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 25 


profitable variety that is propagated in the valley, ripening early, the trees 
good bearers and the fruit bringing very high prices. Last season they 
brought as high as $11 per box in the eastern markets, or over fifty cents a 
pound, and this season bringing from $5 to $7 per box.’’— Vacaville (Cal,) 
Reporter, quoted in California Fruit Grower, xiii. 198 (Sept. 2, 1893). 

‘““A very large plum, of greenish yellow color, nearly round, very little 
suture, a very rapid grower, more so than any other. This is the most 
remarkable of all plums for its enormous size, beauty and good quality. It 
is probably the largest plum in existence ; ripens fifteen days after Yeddo. 
I have had specimens of it larger than any Kelsey, or as large as any com-~ 
mon-size Elberta peach.’’—/. L. Normand, Marksville, La., Special Circu- 
lar, 1895-6. 

Munson: See Douglas. 


NAGATE NO BOTANKYO. 
“ Rarly.”—/. L. Normand, Special Circular, 1895-6. 


NORMAND (/. L. Normand, Catalogue, 1891). 


Normand Yellow. 
Normand’s Japan. 


Medium to large, obtusely conical with a heart-like base and short stem ; 
color clear golden yellow; flesh firm and meaty, yellow, of high quality ; 
the small pit free. Very prolific, and ripens just after Berckmans and 
Abundance. Allied to Georgeson and Kerr ; less conical than the latter. 

Imported by J. L. Normand, Marksville, La., and by him disseminated 
under the name of Normand’s Japan in 1891. Figured in Bull. 62. 

OCTOBER PURPLE (Burbank). 


A very large black-purple heart-like plum, with no splashes of lighter 
color; flesh amber-yellow, red beneath the skin, very juicy, but yet firm, 
somewhat stringy, very sweet and good; skin sour; cling. Very late. 


OGON. 


Fruits medium in size, flattened at the ends or tomato-shaped, 
not at all conical, the suture prominent ; color clear lemon with a 
light creamy bloom giving the fruit a whitish appearance ; flesh 
thick and very meaty, not juicy, firm and keeping long, of second 
or third quality, entirely free from the stone. ‘Tree only moder- 
ately productive in New York, or in some regions even shy. 
Early, ripening in New York from late July to the middle of Au- 
gust. Excellent for canning. 

Imported by H. H. Berger & Co., San Francisco. One of the 
best known varieties, but evidently not increasing in popularity 
in this state. Figured in Bulletin 62. 


24 BULLETIN 106. 


O-HATANKYO. 

‘« Said to be early.’’—/. L. Normand, ‘‘ Special Circular,” 1895-6. 
, ORIENT (Stark Bros., Catalogue, 1893). 
Red Nagate, of some. 

‘Large, broadly conical; red, very highly colored ; flesh yellow, of high 
quality. Ripens 
soon after Burbank. 
Introduced in the 
fall of 1893 by 
Stark Bros., Louis- 
iana, Mo. Figured 
in American Gar- 
dening xiv. (1893), 


62. 
Possibly the same 
as Chabot. 


RED June 
(Stark Brose 


Figs. 10 and 11. 
Red Nagate, 
of some. 


of some? 
Medium to 


cordate and very 
prominently 
elongated at the 
apex, the suture 
deep, generally 
lop-sided, deep 
vermilion-red all 
over, with a 
handsome 
bloom, very 
showy; flesh light lemon-yellow or whitish, firm and moderately 
juicy, not stringy, very slightly subacid to sweetish, the skin 
slightly sour, of good pleasant quality although not so richas 
some; cling to half cling; pit small. 


10.—fed /une. 


x 


p- 363.’’—Bulletin 


nearly large size, 


Catalogue,I893). 


Shiro-Smomo, — 


eee ee res ie” ee 


pee aes 


t 


quality of our speci- * 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 25 


A very handsome plum, ripening at Ithaca in 1895 from July 
28 to August 1st, nearly a week later than Willard, and a week 


earlier than Abundance. By all odds the best Japanese plum rip- 


ening before the 


vigorous and hardy, 
about as productive 
with us, so far, as 
Abundance. [ 
thought that the 


_ Abundance which nt is 
I have yet tested. rte 
Bree-( hig: 31) ‘up- Ay 
right-spreading, Be 


mens last season - 
were nearly or quite 
equal to that of 
Abundance. 

Imported by H. 
H. Berger & Co., 
San Francisco. The 
nomenclature of the 
variety here de- 
scribed is much 
Senidsea. H. -H. 
Berger & Co. write 
me that the true Japanese Red Nagate has red flesh, which this 
has not. The name Red Nagate is applied to such different 
varieties, and there is such an absence of opinion as to what the 
true Red Nagate is, that I have adopted Red June as the only 
tenable name. 

This is the variety to which the name Shiro Smomo is oftenest 
applied, but it is neither a Sumomo plum nor is it white (Shiro 
means w/z/e), thus affording a curious instance of the utter con- 
fusion of the American application of the names of the Japanese 
plums. Professor Georgeson tells me that the Shiro Sumono of 
the Japanese is a small white early plum with yellow flesh, some- 


11.—Red June, 6 years old, 


what cling and of medium season. I do not know if it occurs in 


26 BULLETIN 106. 


this country; and it is probably not worth while to endeavor to 
fit the name to any variety. The Ogon is probably the nearest to 
‘it of any variety in this list. 

SAGETSUNA. 


Name given in J. L. Normand’s “ Special Circular,’’ 1895-6, without com- 
ment. 


SATSUMA. 
Blood. 
Yonemomo. 

Size medium to rather large, broadly conical with a blunt, 
short point, suture very deep; color very dark and dull red 
all over, with greenish dots and an under-color of brown-red ; 
flesh blood-red, rather coarse and acid, fair to good in quality, 
tightly clinging to the pit ; midseason ; productive. 

Imported by Luther Burbank in 1886. Figured in Pomologist’s 
Report, Rept. Dept. Agr. 1887, Plate I. (colored), and also in 
Wickson’s California Fruits, 351, the latter copied from the for- 
mer. J have never seen a Satsuma with such a small pit as rep- 
resented in these cuts, nor of the same shape. The fruit appears 
to be uniform in shape and markings, and it is figured from life 
in Bulletin 62. The Satsuma is hardy in the northern states. 
Stark Bros., Louisiana, Mo., write that it blooms too early with 
them and is not so hardy as some others. This belongs to the 
Beni-Sumomo group of the Japanese, which is characterized by red 
flesh. Season about with Burbank. Usually too sour to be 
agreeable, and the color is such that the market will probably ob- 
ject to it. Very long keeper. 

SEA-EcG (Burbank). 

Mr. Burbank sends me a very handsome and well-marked Japanese plum 
under this name, which is globular-heart-shape in outline, and mottled-red ; 
flesh very thick and meaty, orange-yellow, sweet and excellent, with a slight 
muskiness; cling. 

SHIRO Smomo: see Red SEES tha Beate 
SHIPPER ( Burbank). 

Fruit oval, light red with a white bloom; flesh very firm, yellow, sweet 
and juicy; long keeper. Tree sturdy, but a moderate grower. Described 
with Burbank’s Novelties, 1893. Seedling of Satsuma. 

SHIRA TA BENE. 

“Similar to Satsuma, but much earlier, ripening in July; fruit blood red 

through.” —/. A. Haynes (/ndiana) in Prairie Farmer, Dec. 21, 1895, 8. 
STRAWBERRY: see Uchi-Beni 
SWEET BOTAN: see Berckmans. 


Se a a ere 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 27 


TRUE SWEET BOTAN: see Berckmans, 
UcHI-BENI. 

Ura-Beni. 

Honsmomo. 

Strawberry. 

Medium in size, heart-shape and somewhat pointed, bright carmine-red ; 
flesh red and fine-grained, somewhat acid, rather poor in quality, cling; 
rather early. Little known. Uchi-Beni means zuszde red. 

Stark Bros. write me as follows, under date of August 12, 1895: ‘‘ This is 
a small plum similar to the variety you describe as Berger, and is the variety 
we called Strawberry when we propagated it; but we discarded it two years 
ago. Ripens a few days after the Earliest of All, but is not so large nor so 
good quality, and is not at all productive, while the Earliest of All is re- 
markably productive.”’ 

WHITE-FLESHED Botan: see Berckmans. 
WASSE BOTONKYO. 
Name given, without comment, in J. L. Normand’s “Special Circular,” 
1895-6. 
WASSE SUMOMO. 
‘Said to be very early.”’—/. L. Normand, ‘‘ Special Circular,’’ 1895-6. 
WASSU. 
Name only, in J. L. Normand’s ‘‘ Special Circular,’’ 1895-6. 
WEEPING BLOOD. 

‘This is a valuable acquisition, said to produce a blood red plum of good 
quality. The tree must be seen to be appreciated. I have them here on my 
experimental grounds, growing finely ; I budded them at different heights on 
straight peach stock four to eight feet from the ground, with slender limbs 
curving down gracefully like the Tea’s Weeping mulberry. Single trees set 
out on the lawn look grand.”—/. L. Normand, ‘‘ Special Circular,’ 1895-6. 

WHITE KELSEY. 

‘This is a duplicate in size and shape of the common Kelsey, except it is 
of a pale, creamy color, almost white when ripe; does not rot before maturi- 
ty like the Kelsey, and much earlier to ripen and later to bloom than it; 
delicious in flavor.’’—/. L. Normand, ‘‘ Special Circular,’’ 1895-6. 

WicxKson (Burbank, Catalogue, 1894). 
Perfection, of Burbank. 

A remarkably handsome and very large deep maroon-red plum of the Kel- 
sey type. Long-cordate, or oblong-pointed ; flesh firm, deep amber-yellow, 
clinging to the small pit. There is apt to be a hollow space about the pit, as 
there isin Kelsey. I have had the plums from Burbank three times, all of 
them in good condition and have tested them when in prime condition ; but 
each time the fruit has had such a pronounced musky-almond flavor that I 
could not enjoy it. Mr. Burbank, however, regards it as superior to Hale in 
quality. Excellent keeper. Cross of Burbank with Kelsey, Burbank fur- 
nishing the seed. 

Stark Bros. report that nursery stock of this variety has stood 22° below 
zero at their place without injury. . 


28 BULLETIN 106. 


WILLARD, (W. F. Hetkes, 1893). 
Botan No. 26. 


Medium in size, spherical to oblong in general outline but 
prominently cornered or angled, never pointed, the sinus very 


Fig. 12. 


Grown by S. D. Willard, Geneva, N.Y. 


12.— Willard. 


slight but stem cavity deep; color bright claret-red with many 
minute yellow dots; flesh rather firm, whitish, of poor quality ; 
freestone. A strong, vigorous and hardy tree, productive, 


ewe 


*agaso { —*E3 


ag} y1]-LAABYI 40 OULOMLOS ay JO 2UC 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 29 


and one of the earliest plums yet tested in the north, ripening in 
central New York late 
in July. In appearance 
the fruit is remarkably 
like some of theimproved 
types of Prunus 
Americana. ‘The 
fruitishandsome 
when well ripen* 
ed, and keeps 
two to thiree 
weeks if picked 
when it 
begins to 
color, but 
the quality 
is almond- 
like) and 
poor, — so 
poor that I 
cannot rec- 
ommend it. 
Fruit picked 
10s. S:0/5)s0m 
July 16, when 
it just began 
to color, kept 
until August 
6, the spect- 
mens shrivel- 
ing rather 
than rotting. 

Cions procured from 
California six or seven 
years ‘ago by S. D. 
Willard, Geneva, 
N. Y., and named tor him by W. F. Heikes in Practical Nursery- 
man, June 1893. It was undoubtedly imported from Japan, but the 


) 30 BULLETIN 106. 


history of it is lost. Mr. Burbank writes: ‘‘I had the Willard 
sixteen years ago. Not valuing it very highly, I discarded it 
many years ago, although it may prove valuable as an early 
variety ; but I would prefer Stark Bros.’ Red June, which ripens 
at the same time, but even that variety, though handsome, is poor 
in quality.” 

YEDDO. 

‘‘Much like White Kelsey, which it resembles in some respects, but it is 
of a deeper yellow color and ten days later to ripen, and very attractive and 
fine-flavored plum.’’—/. S. Normand, ‘‘ Spectal Circular,’ 1895-6. 

YELLOW JAPAN: See Chase. 
YONEMOMO: See Satsuma, 
YOSEBE. Fig. 13. 

A small short-oblong-pointed fruit, with slender stem and Almost 
no suture; deep purple-red all over; flesh dark yellow, soft, sub- 
acid, with a pronounced almond flavor; pit small and free. A 
handsome very early plum, but the quality poor. Falls from the 
tree as soon as ripe, leaving the stem on thetree. Ripe here a 
week earlier than Willard. 

Tree an upright grower, with reddish twigs and light-colored 
foliage. Leaves comparatively small and rugose, somewhat con- 
duplicate, very prominently serrate, yellowish green. Stipules 
conspicuous. ‘Tree very unlike other Japanese plums, when in 
leaf. 

There are two or three varieties passing as Yosebe, and nobody 
knows which one is entitled to the name. Neither do I know 
whether the proper orthography of the name is Yosebe or Yosobe. 
It is probable that all the varieties have been given separate 
names, which can be used as soon as the characteristics of the 
varieties are understood. 

Apt to be confounded with Berger. The Berger is small and 
nearly or quite globular, with a smooth circular cherry-like pit ; 
Yosebe is distinctly cordiform and a half to twice larger, with a 
roughish and lenticular pit. The two are also very unlike in 
foliage. 

; LL H. Bata 


Bulletin 139. October, 1897. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 


EnikD ReERORT UPON 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 


By L. H. BAILEY. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


1897. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL, 


President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN. 


Hon, A. D. WHITE, - - = - Trustee of the University. 
Bon! *B.: FF. TRACY, o- - - Pestana eal Agricultural Society. 


Professor I. P. ROBERTS, - : - Agriculture. 
Professor G. C. CALDWELL, = : - : Chemistry. 
Professor JAMES Law, : - - - Veterinary Science. 
Professor J. H. COMSTOCK, : - + - Entomology. 
Professor L. H. BAILEY, - - - - Horticulture. 


Professor H. H. WING, 
Professor G. F. ATKINSON, - 


M. V. SLINGERLAND, “ 
G. W. CAVANAUGH, - 
L. ASCLINTON:, - ee Le 
B. M. DUGGAR, - 


Dairy Husbandry. 
Cryptogamic Botany. 


- Assistant in Entomology. 

- Assistant in Chemistry. 
Assistant in Agriculture. 
Assistant in Botany. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION, 
I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - - - Director. 
K. I. WILLIAMS, - - - - - Treasurer. 
EDWARD A. BUTLER, - - - - - Clerk. 


In pursuance of the provisions of Chapter 128 of the Laws of 1897, the 
following persons have been appointed investigators and instructors in the 
College of Agriculture of Cornell University to serve throughout the state 
according to the needs of the several localities for a portion or all of the year. 

J. W. SPENCER, B. M. DuGGAR, A. lL. KNISLEY, 
G. T. POWELL, J. L. STONE, C. E. Hunn. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
The regular bulletins of the Station are sent free to all who request them. 


BULLETINS OF 1897. 


124. ‘The Pistol-Case-Bearer in Western New York. 
125. A Disease of Currant Canes. 
126. The Currant-Stem Girdler and the Raspberry-Cane Maggot. 
127. A Second Account of Sweet Peas. 
128. A Talk about Dahlias. 
129. How to Conduct Field Experiments with Fertilizers. 
130. Potato Culture. 
131. Notes upon Plums for Western New York. 
132. Notes upon Celery. 
133. The Army-worm in New York. 
134. Strawberries under Glass. 
135. Forage Crops. 
136. Chrysanthemunis. 
137. Agricultural Extension Work, sketch of its Origin and Progress. 
138. Studies and Illustrations of Mushrooms: I. 


139. Third Report upon Japanese Plums. 


THIRD REPORT UPON JAPANESE PLUMS. ° 


In two bulletins (Nos. 62 and 106) we have made reports upon 
the history and varieties of plums which have recently come into 
this country from Japan. A crop of many of the varieties upon 
the Cornell grounds in 1897, enables us to make a third report. 
The nomenclature of this class of plums is in the greatest con- 
fusion, and the plums themselves are too little understood to 
warrant unqualified recommendation. It will be several years 
yet before we can expect to thoroughly classify our knowledge of 
them. ‘This confusion is of itself a strong reason why these 
reports should be made, for, while we do notexpect that we have 
arrived at a full knowledge of the varieties, the confusion 
would increase rather than diminish if no attempt were made to 
record the tests from year to year. The confusion among these 
plums has arisen because the Japanese class-names have been 
retained in this country, and because various parties have dis- 
seminated the varieties under numbers or without names. 
The writer has therefore given new names to varieties which are 
passing under class-names and numbers; but the renaming of 
_any variety is not to be regarded as a recommendation of it. At 
first it was intended to include in this report copious extracts 
from the current press respecting the varieties of Japanese 
plums, but it so frequently happens that persons have different 
varieties under the same name that there is danger of adding to 
the confusion rather than diminishing it by too free quotations 
from contemporaneous writings. We have merely set down the 
behavior of such varieties as have fruited with us this year, mak- 
ing such corrections of nomenclature as seem to be necessary in 
order to clarify the subject. 

I am still convinced that the Japanese plums have come to 
stay. By this I do not mean that they are destined to supplant 
the domestica and native plums, but that they are bound to sup- 
plement those types with varieties that are adapted to particular 


370 ) BULLETIN 139. 


purposes and conditions. As a class, they are vigorous, hardy 
and productive in tree, and the fruit is handsome, long keeping, 
and covers a long season.* Thus far, they have been compara- 
tively free from black-knot, and until this year our trees have 
not been seriously attacked by the shot-hole fungus or leaf-blight. 
During the past season, however, this leaf-blight has been much 
worse upon the Japanese varieties than upon the domesticas 
alongside them, and this, too, in spite of the fact that they were 
thoroughly sprayed. The leaves did not drop to any extent, 
however, even though they were badly riddled by the fungus. 

The following notes must not be taken to be complete or final 
descriptions of the varieties. In many cases they are made from 
the first crop on young trees. But they record the present state 
of our knowledge respecting this new and much confused type 
of fruits. It is our habit to set the wood of new varieties (either 
‘as buds or grafts) in the tops of Lombard plums, and several of 
the varieties have been fruited only in this way. ‘The pictures 
are all natural size, and are made from average specimens. The 
reader should be told that pictures always look smaller than the 
objects, even though they are of the same size. Other true pic- 
tures of the fruits and trees of Japanese plums may be found in 
our Bulletin 106. That bulletin attempts to describe all the va- 
rieties known at that time (1895), but the present report concerns 
itself only with those varieties which we have fruited. 

A most perplexing feature of the Japanese plums is the varia- 
tion in the season of ripening in different years. In our first 
Japanese plum bulletin, we said that the Burbank ‘‘is from two 


* These plums are now beginning to attract attention in Europe; and the 
following report comesfrom South Africa (EH. Tidmarsh, in Rep. Grahams- 
town Botanic Gardens, 1895, 5): ‘‘ The Japanese plums, although not 
quite equal in flavor to the best sorts grown in Europe, have valuable prop- 
erties for this climate. For one thing, these varieties, so far as I have 
tried them, grow freely grafted on the peach. A number of the European 
sorts refuse to grow on the peach, and this is a drawback in two ways. 
First, the peach stock is, on the whole, best adapted to this climate, and 
secondly, it is a difficult matter to raise suitable plum stocks in this 
country.’ 

Persons in the South should consult Bulletin 85, Alabama Exp. Sta., on 
‘‘Japanese Plums,’’ by F. S. Earle. 


JAPANESE PLUMS. ak 


to four weeks later’’ than the Abundance. We had not then 
fruited the varieties side by side. In our second bulletin, we 
said that the difference in ripening was only‘‘ a week or two,”’ 
and added that upon our grounds the Burbank, in 1895, “‘ was less 
than a week later than Abundance.’’ These same trees were 
compared this year (1897), and the Burbank was fully three 
weeks later than Abundance. In 1895, the Red June ripened 
from July 28 to August 1; this year the fruit upon the same tree 
was not ripe for eating until August 23. These differences may 
be due to the differences in the two seasons, for in 1895 the late 
summer was hot and dry and this year it was cold and wet; but 
one would not expect that season would make so great compar- 
ative difference between any two varieties as we found between 
Abundance and Burbank. 

This report has had the benefit of notes made upon the early 
varieties by S. D. Willard, during the writer’s absence. 


ABUNDANCE. 


The best known of the Japanese plums, although it is not yet 
clearly distinguished from some of its allies. We have two types 
of Abundance, one a very narrow grower with a small pointed 
early fruit and small leaves, which may be. Babcock; the 
other a moderately spreading tree, with the type of fruit shown 
in Fig. 1, Bulletin 106, ripening a week or ten days later than the 
other, and having large leaves. This latter I have taken as the 
type of Abundance. We have trees propagated from the original 
Lovett stock of Abundance, but they have not yet borne. We 
shall hope to clear the matter up in our next report. 

The Abundance isa good plum, considering its season (ripened 
with us this year about August 25, being about two weeks later 
than hitherto), beauty and productiveness. It must be thinned 
if good specimens are desired. It is also subject to fruit-rot. Its 
quality is fully equal to that of the Lombard. 


BAILEY: see Chabot. 
BERCKMANS.—Fig. 113. 
(True Sweet Botan, at least mostly.) 


The description in Bulletin 106 seems to be characteristic, 


372 BULLETIN 139 


except that I should designate the color upon the fruits this year 
as bright deep red rather than ‘‘dulldeepred.’’ Itisa handsome 
plum, with a soft flesh, and of medium to good quality. Tree 
a spreading grower. ‘Iwo weeks later than Abundance this year. 


113. ..Berckmans. 


BLoop No. 4. 
This was indistinguishable from Satsuma with us this year. 
I suspect that Heikes is the same. 
BURBANK. 


Now too well known to need comment. ‘The best single va- 
riety of Japanese plum yet thoroughly tested in this state. Ripe 
with us this year from the tenth to the middle of September. 


BURBANK No. 1: see Hunn. 


CHABOT.—Fig. 114. 
(Bailey. Chase, mostly. Yellow Japan.) 
This plum certainly deserves all that we said for it in Bulletin 
106 (under the name of Chase). The tree is a strong upright 
grower, productive, and the fruit is handsome, very firm, and of 


FIT 


70904) 


(‘asvy) pun uvdvof mojjax ‘haqwwg sv osjp umouy) 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 373 


good quality. In general appearance the fruit is much like Bur- 
bank, but it is more pointed and from one to’three weeks later ; 


and the tree, which is an upright grower, is very different. This 
year, it ripened with us. from September 15 to 25. ‘There seem 


374 BULLETIN bigtey 


to be two things passing as Chase, the other one being an earlier 
plum and perhaps identical with Douglas. I can detect no dif- 
ference between Chabot, Bailey, Chase and Yellow Japan, and 
the same also passes as Hattonkin ; but Chabot, being the oldest 
name, must hold. 


CHASE: see Chabot. 


DouGLAs.—See title-page illustration. 


(Sweet Botan, of some. Hattankio of some.) 

This is the plum which I called Munson in Bulletin 62, but 
which Price renamed Douglas (Bull. 32, Texas Exp. Sta.) because 
there was already a Munson plum, one of the natives, upon the 
lists. The fruit is medium to large, oblong, deep dark purple; 
flesh firm, quality good; freestone, or very nearly so. ‘Tree 
upright and vigorous, making a rather close round head. Ripened 
With us this year a week ahead of Abundance. JLooks like 
a promising early plum. 


EARLIEST OF ALL. 
( Yosebe of Bulletin 106.) 


We shall drop the name Yosebe (which see), and take up 
Stark Bros.’ name, Earliest of All, for the variety which we illus- 
trated in Fig. 13, Bulletin 106. It is a strongly marked type, 
both in tree and fruit, and ripens here late in July. The descrip- 
tion under Yosebe, in Bulletin 106, is characteristic. Fruit falls 
from the stem as soon asripe, and can be gathered by shaking the 
plums onto sheets, or into a curculio catcher. No doubt 
useful for very early, but quality poor with us. 


ENGRE. 

Ripens with Earliest of All, but a half larger and quality dis- 
tinctly better. Fruit flattened at both ends, the cavity broad 
and deep ; color dark red, with many minute white specks, anda 
delicate bloom. Promising for very early. 


GEORGESON.—Fig. 115. 
Most of the plums passing as Hattankio belong here. It 
seems to be the only clear yellow Japanese plum known in this 
state, except Ogon. It assumes various forms. In Bulletin 106 


JAPANESE PLUMS. OAS 


we showed the flattened or rounded form. We now show a 
pointed form. Iam convinced that these forms are only inciden- 
tal variations of the same variety. It is a very solid golden yel- 
low plum, of fair to good quality, and a long keeper. Ripe this 
year at Cornell September 15 to 20. A _ sprawling, forking 


115. Georgeson. The pointed type. 


grower, in form of top intermediate between Abundance and 
Burbank. The best yellow variety that I know. Kerr, another 
yellow variety, we have not fruited. 


376 


BULLETIN 139. 


HALE.—Figs. 116, 117. 


With us the size and color of Burbank, and a week or so:later. 


promising of 


Pi6su5/24a7e, 


A handsome globular, red and 
speckled plum, parting easily 
from the stem; flesh rather soft 
and juicy, of good quality and 
a peachy flavor, tending to be 
sour rather than sweet; tree 
(Fig. 117) moderately spread- 
ing, and a good grower, and 
evidently productive. Ripened 
with us this year from Septem- 
ber 8 to 15. One of thesmiaes 
the lesser known varieties. 


HEIKES: see Blood No. 4. 


JAPANESE PLUMS. Dine 


Hunn.—Fig. 118. 
(Burbank No. 1.) 


Early, ripening just after Red June,—August 26, with us this 
year, —but keep- 
ingest ‘Sep- 
femiueiaes: A 
small plum,with § 
a slight point as # 
in Abundance, ¥ 
deep claret red 
with many min- 
ute golden dots; 
flesh thin and 
juicy, sweet and 
of medium qual- 
Vey olin 
Fruiting on 
Lombard; —ap- 
parently produc- 
tive and of up- e 
right habit. It 118. Hunn. (Burbank No. 1). 
may deserve a 
place among the early plums. 


LOUISIANA.—Fig. 119. 
(Normand No. 75.) 


Tree a spreading and rather weak and slender grower, with 
foliage and spray very strongly suggesting hybridity with the 
Wild Goose type of plum. Plum green in color even when fully 
ripe, dotted with light specks and marked with a faint and dull 
red blush in the sun; medium size, pointed or heart-like; flesh 
juicy and sweet at the center while it is still hard and rind-like 
near the exterior ; fruits running very uneven in size and shape, 
some of the specimens on our tree being much misshapen 
(See Fig. 119). A curious fruit, in some respects suggesting 
Kelsey. Falls from the tree very early. Perfectly hardy with 
us thus far. Mr. Normand says that it is a ‘‘seedling of a 
Japanese crossed with a native plum.”’ 


378 BULLETIN 139. 


MARU. 


See description in Bulletin 106. It was a week or too later 
than Abundance with us this year. Tree upright-spreading, a 
good grower, with rather small leaves. Handsome, but rather 
small, and quality poor. 


119. Louisiana. (Normand No. 15). 


NORMAND. 


Described as a very early somewhat conical yellow freestone, 
and specimens of fruit which I have had from Normand, the im- 
porter and introducer, answer the description. As fruited with 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 379 


us this year on Lombard stock, cions from Normand, it is 
-a midseason clingstone and is indistinguishable from Georgeson. 
Ripe with us in 1897, Sept. 15 to 20. It remains to be deter- 
mined whether there are two varieties passing under one name, 
or whether the same variety behaves differently under different 
conditions. 

OGON. 


A handsome clear yellow freestone plum, already well known, 
and fully described in Bulletins 62 and 106, and illustrated in the 
former. It is very early, ripening at Cornell this year. about 
August 10. It is excellent for canning. The Ogon is generally 
regarded as a shy bearer, but our little trees were loaded this 
year. ‘The fruit often cracks badly on the tree. The tree is an 
upright-spreading strong grower, with very large leaves which 
did not suffer from fungus. 


RED JUNE. 

Surely an excellent plum, maintaining the high character— 
for earliness, beauty and productiveness—which we gave it two 
years ago. ‘The quality isnot so good as that of the Burbank 
or Chabot. At Cornell this year, trees upon hard clay land 
ripened their fruits twelve days later than trees upon gravelly 
loam. | 

RED NAGATE. 


I think that this name will have to be given up. It is most 
commonly applied to the variety which is now properly known 
as Red June, but we have Chabot under the same name. 


SATSUMA. 


One of the best marked of all Japanese plums, the fruit being 
dark dull red and the flesh blood-red. It is late, ripening from 
the middle to the last of September this year. The color of the 
fruit is against it for a general market plum, but its keeping 
qualities, and excellence for culinary uses, make it worth a place 
in the orchard. ‘The quality is austere until fully ripe, when the 
fruit becomes fairly sweet. ‘ree a vigorous spreading-upright 
grower. Fairly productive with us, but reported as unproduc- 
‘tive by others. 


380 BULLETIN 139. 


STRAWBERRY. 


A small fruit, flattened upon the ends, with a broad and deep 
cavity, light red, meaty flesh, quality good, with flavor of 
domestica plums. Ripe here the very last of July in 1897. Tree 
strong, upright-spreading, with large foliage. . This variety 
affords an excellent illustration of the various behaviors of 
Japanese plums. The tree was sent us by Stark Bros., who 
named it, but finding it not productive and not so good as EKarl- 
iest of All, they discarded it. Yet at Cornell this year it was a 
good plum. It is evidently the same as Uchi-Beni, Ura-Beni, 
and is the Honsmomo of some. 


120. Wickson. 


UcHI-BENI AND URA-BENT :—see Strawberry. 


WASSU. 


In both tree and fruit indistinguishable from Burbank. ‘Tree 
from Normand, the introducer. 


WICKSON.—Figs. 120, 121. 


Although jwe have this plum growing, it has not borne; but 
since we have tested fruit of it grown by E. Smith & Sons, on ~ 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 381 


Seneca Lake, we give it place in this report, and the engraving 
(Fig. 120) is made from specimens of their growing. “They 
write as follows: ‘‘ Our experience with this plum is limited, but 
we are more than pleased with its habits and characteristic 
points. We find it a good grower, also very hardy, and the size 
of fruit superior to any of the Japanese plums. 
The quality we find a little under the average, 
but good enough to warrant us in planting. 
We have 100 trees of them, planted out one 
year ago in orchard form, and will set at least 
500 more.”’ 

I am impressed with the Wickson and ex- 
pect to find it an acquisition to New York. 
The fruit is very large, deep maroon-red, firm 
and long-keeping, with an aromatic almond- 
like quality, and deep, dull yellow, meaty 
flesh. The tree has been perfectly hardy with 
us. It has the habit of Prunus Simonii (Fig. 
121), being the narrowest grower of all the 
Japanese plums which we have tested. Its 
habit suggests that Prunus Simonii en- 
tered into its parentage, but Mr. Burbank, 
the originator, says that it was grown from Eat 
Burbank seed which was fertilized by Kelsey 121. Wickson. 
pollen. 


WILLARD. 


We have no new report to make upon this variety. (See 
Bulletin 106). Its only merit is earliness. The quality is very 
poor. It isa very strong, tall grower, but shed its leaves early 
with us this year. 


YOSEBE or YOSOBE. 


We shall discard this name. ‘The variety which we described 
and figured under this name in Bulletin 106 we shall hereafter 
call Earliest of All (which see). The name seems to be applied 
to a number of varieties, no one of which has any definite right 
to it. We have Satsuma under the name of Yosobe. 


382 BULLETIN +139. 


Correspondents are asking what varieties of Japanese plums I 
recommend. Inreply I willsay that I never recommend varieties 
of any fruit for anyone to plant. The merit of a variety 
must be measured by the uses to which it is to be applied and 
by the tastes of the planter, quite as much as by its intrinsic 
characters. The correspondent rarely specifies whether he 
wants a red plum or a yellow one, an early or a late, for dessert 
or formarket. It is like asking a man at a distance what fence 
the questioner shall put in his back lot, without saying whether 
it is to be a pig fence, hen fence, sheep fence, cow fence, or a 
fence merely to mark off his premises from his neighbor’s. I 
can state what varieties I might plant for myself, but my selec- 
tion might not be such as would please my neighbor. For my- 
self, I should still adhere to my list of four varieties of two years 
ago,—Red June, Abundance, Burbank, Chabot. I should place 
‘as second choice Douglas, Berckmans, Satsuma, Hale and 
Wickson and should expect that the last two would rise, upon 
further acquaintance, to a place in the first rank. If I wanted a 
yellow plum, I should take Georgeson, with Ogon for early. If 
I wanted the earliest varieties, without respect to size or quality, 
I should choose Berger, Engre, Earliest of All and Willard. / 


LL. ABA 


- caghe tae es 


Bulletin 175. November, 1899. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 


FOURTH. REPORT ON 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 


Ub 
uy 
t/ 


ry 


NY) 


Wis 


Z_ 


By L. H. BAILEY. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY. 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


1899. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 


THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE AND STATION COUNCIL. 


JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN, President of the University. 
FRANKLIN C. CORNELL, Trustee of the University. 

ISAAC P. ROBERTS, Director of the College and Experiment Station. 
EMMONS L. WILLIAMS, Treasurer of the University. 

LIBERTY H. BAILEY, Professor of Horticulture. 

JOHN H. COMSTOCK, Professor of Entomology. 


STATION AND UNIVERSITY EXTENSION STAFF. 


I. P. ROBERTS, Agriculture. 

G. C. CALDWELL, Chemistry. 

JAMES LAW, Veterinary Science. 

J. H. COMSTOCK, Entomology. 

L. H. BAILEY, Horticulture. 

H. H. WING, Dairy Husbandry. 

GEO. F. ATKINSON, Botany. 

M. V. SLINGERLAND, Entomology. 

G. W. CAVANAUGH, Chemistry. 

L. A. CLINTON, Agriculture. 

B. M. DUGGAR, Botany. 

J. W. SPENCER, Extension Work. 

J. L. STONE, Sugar Beet Investigation 

MRS. MARY ROGERS MILLER, Nature- 
Study. 

MRS. A, B. COMSTOCK, Nature-Study. 

ALICE G. McCLOSKEY, Nature-Study. 

A. L. KNISELY, Chemistry. 

C. KE. HUNN, Gardening. 

W. W. HALL, Dairy Husbandry. 

A. R. WARD, Dairy Bacteriology. 

L. ANDERSON, Dairy Husbandry. 

W. E. GRIFFITH, Dairy Husbandry. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION 


I. P. ROBERTS, Director. 

E. L. WILLIAMS, Treasurer. 

EDWARD A. BUTLER, Clerk. 
Office of Director, Room 20, Morrill Hall. 


CORNELL UNIVERSITY, IrHaca, N. Y., Nov. 1, 1899. 
HONORABLE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, ALBANY. 

Siy: The Japanese plums have come to stay, but they have 
come without accurate descriptions and with confused nomen- 
clature. The merits of the older varieties are now fairly well 
known, but the greater number of the varieties are very imper- 
fectly understood. In order to elucidate these perplexities and 
to spread accurate knowledge of this new class of fruits, the Cor- 
nell Station has made a special effort to study all the varieties 
from bearing trees. This bulletin is the fourth report of this 
investigation. . I. P. RoBERTS, Director. 


‘sucnpd asaungn ysayava ay, ‘ar8usz puv (4fa7 wo) Pp fo Isaujav5y— ve 


FOURTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 


In January, 1894, this Station issued a bulletin (No. 62) on 
the Japanese plums. Subsequent issues were made in January, 
1896, and in October, 1897 (Bulletins 106, 139). For five years 
and more, the Japanese plums have been the subject of careful 
study at Cornell, and an effort has been made to secure all the 
varieties. During the past season the crop of these plums has 
been large and excellent, and the following notes are made 
directly from the fruits. We are still convinced that the Japan- 
ese plums are a very important addition to our orchard fruits. 
They will not drive other plums from the field, but they have 
attributes which make them an excellent supplement to the 
European and native sorts. The particular merits of the Japan- 
ese plums are their great productiveness, adaptation to a wide 
range of territory, beauty, earliness of many of the varieties, 
comparative freedom from diseases and insects, and long-keeping 
qualities of fruit. Most of the varieties tend to overbear, and 
good fruits can be secured only by very heavy thinning. This 
is especially true of the Burbank, the Abundance and the Red 
June. There is great range in quality of the Japanese plums. 
The poorest of them are inferior to any of the European varie- 
ties. The best of them are nearly equal to the best of the Euro- 
pean kinds, and all of the leading sorts are better in quality than 
the Lombard if they are properly thinned and ripened. 

A great merit of the Japanese plum is the fact that it is adapted 
to an exceedingly wide range of territory, in this respect excel- 
ling both the Domestica and native types. ‘There are varie- 
ties which thrive from Canada to the southern States, and 
apparently from ocean toocean. ‘There has been some complaint 
in the Middle states and the South of loss of blossoms from late 
spring frosts, but we have never experienced this difficulty. 
The buds start early; but in New York State, at least, the 
winter climate holds so late that there is practically no danger 
from the early swelling of the buds. 


128 BULLETIN 175; 


The Japanese plums are less seriously attacked by insects and 
fungi than the common European or Domestica type is. They 
are not entirely free from the shot-hole fungus, black-knot, - 
curculio and other difficulties; but in our experience these 
troubles have been so infrequent or of such minor importance as 
not to attract serious attention. The fruit-rot is often serious on 
the Japanese plums ; but in our experience, it is equally or even 
more serious on the Lombard. If the Japanese plums are prop- 
erly thinned, there seems to be no unusual susceptibility to the 
fruit-rot fungus. 

The larger part of the Japanese plum stock which is sold by 
nurserymen is on peach roots; and on these roots they seem to 
thrive. However, we find that they do remarkably well when 
top-worked on Lombard stocks. Theoretically, we are to expect 
the best results when they are worked on their own roots; and 
. these plums are now so extensively planted that the time cannot 
be far distant when seed can be obtained cheaply enough to 
warrant the raising of Japanese plum stocks. It remains to be 
demonstrated, however, whether the Japanese plum roots are 
actually better than the peach or the Domestica plum roots. 

In former reports, we have spoken of the great variation of 
Japanese plums in respect to the period of ripening. We find 
that the same trees often do not ripen their fruit in the same 
sequence in different years. In some years there may be a 
difference of two weeks in ripening between the Abundance and 
Burbank, whereas in other years the very same trees may ripen 
their fruit almost simultaneously. The period and sequence of 
all fruits are greatly modified by the particular season, but the 
Japanese plums seem to be particularly unstable in these respects. 

Ever since we began the study of these Japanese plums, we 
have been puzzled to account for the great differences in opinion 
respecting the merits of individual varieties and the wide dis- 
crepancies in descriptions of them. Some of these discrepancies 
are traceable to a confused nomenclature; but we now believe 
that many of them are due tothe fact that the same tree may bear 
unlike fruit in different years. Some of the trees which we have 
had under the closest observation during two or three crops seem 
to have behaved in this way. For example,in our last report (Bul- 


FouRTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 129 
% 


letin 139) we thought that the Chase is identical with the Chabot. 
This year, however, the fruit of the same trees of Chase was 
indistinguishable from Abundance; and yet, between Abundance 
and Chabot there is normally a difference of two to three weeks 
in the period of ripening, and there was this difference on our 
own grounds this year. From this year’s study, therefore, we 
are obliged to say that the Chase is the Abundance. 

Some objection has been raised to the supplanting of Japanese 
names with new names. We aré convinced, however, that the 
dropping of the Japanese class-names and adjectives is legitimate 
in the interest of perspicuity. Most of the Japanese names 
have been loosely applied, and it is impossible, in many cases, to 
determine any one variety to which the name may be said to 
belong. To use the old name of Botan, for example, would 
result in perpetuating aconfusion, since any person who hada 
plum under the name of Botan, no matter what it was, would 
feel justified in sending it out. When, however, the different 
kinds of Botans are given specific names, the person must dis- 
tinguish his variety before it can be put upon the market. The 
same remarks may be made for the Japanese names, Hattankio, 
Yosobe, Sumomo and Wassu. (Wassu is probably a misspelling 
of Wasse, or Wase, meaning early). There are two or three 
Japanese names, of which Maru and Satsuma are examples, 
which have been applied to one particular variety; and in these 
cases we have held to the Japanese vernacular. 

It is usually unsafe to make a general recommendation of 
varieties of any fruit. The value of a variety lies not only in 
its intrinsic merits, but in its adaptation to the personal likes of 
the grower and to markets, soils, and other extrinsic conditions. 
However, as a guide in the choice of varieties, I will mention 
those kinds which now seem to me to be most valuable for general 
uses and conditions. In the first list I place those which seem 
to be worthy of general planting; in the other list are those of 
secondary value and those which must be further tested before 


130 BULLETIN 175. 


they can be confidently recommended. ‘The varieties are named 
in the order in which they ripened at Ithaca in 1899: 


First list. Second list. 
Engre Berger 
Lutts Kerr 
Red June Ogon 
Abundance Georgeson 
Burbank Hunn 
Chabot Hale 
Satsuma Wickson 


In the following account of varieties, we record the notes 
which have been taken on the Cornell grounds during the present 
season. ‘The varieties are arranged in the order of their ripening 
at Ithaca in 1899. (An index to the names will be found at the 
end of the bulletin.) As already indicated, this order of ripen- 
ing is not uniform year by year. By season of ripening, we 
‘mean the date at which the first considerable numbers of fruits 
are fit to be eaten from the hand. Ordinarily, the varieties 
should be picked for market three or four days, or even a week, 
earlier than the dates here given. It is characteristic of most 
Japanese plums that even though they are uncolored when 
picked, they ripen up well if kept in a cool and dry place. All 
the pictures in this bulletin, except that on the title-page, are 
natural size. ‘They are made from fruits of medium and aver- 
age size. It should be remembered, however, that pictures of 
fruits, even though they are full size, look smaller than the fruits 
themselves. The histories of the varieties are recorded in pre- 
vious bulletins. 


I. HARLIEST OF ALL.—Fig. 24, left. 
Yosebe of Bulletin 106. Wasse-Sumomo. 


Small, round-oblong, with an indication of a pointed apex in 
some specimens; suture not prominent; color when fully ripe 
almost uniformly pink-red, with light bloom ; flesh light yellow 
and soft, clinging to the pit, sour, with a decided almond or 
bitterish flavor, skin tough; first specimens picked July ro, but 
the larger part of the fruits ripe on July 14. The fruit drops 
from the stem as soon as ripe. Straw or hay should be spread 


FoURTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. Tar 


under the tree to catch it. The tree is a decidedly upright 
grower, with small and yellowish green deeply serrate leaves, 
prominent stipules and reddishtwigs. After having tested four 
or five crops of this plum, we are convinced that its chief merit is 
earliness and that it is too poor in quality to be recommended, 
particularly since the Engre is of better quality and practically 
of the same season. 


25.—Lutts. The largest of the very early Japanese plums. 


2. HNGRE.—Fig. 24, right. 


About one-third larger than Earliest of All, not round but 
somewhat flattened endwise, the suture usually rather prom- 
inent ; color a very little darker than Earliest of All; flesh soft 
and yellow, cling, sour but with almost no almond flavor, and 
the skin tough. Engre is practically of the same season as 
Earliest of All, although this year it was about one day later. 


132 BULLETIN 175. 


It is a distinctly better plum. Werecommend it for being very 
early. With us it has been a prolific bearer, and the fruits are 
attractive. Its quality is not as good as that of Burbank and 
Abundance, but its great earliness commends it. 


3. Lurrs.—Fig. 25. 
Wasse-Botanktio. 


Under the name Wasse-Botankio, we have fruited an excellent 
early plum for two seasons. It seems to have such distinct 
merit that we think it worthy general introduction, and I there- 
fore take pleasure in naming it for Mr. Henry Lutts, of Youngs- 
town, N. Y., who has been one of the pioneers in the culture of 
Japanese plums in this State. Fruit round-oblate with a tend- 
ency to a pointed apex, in general form and appearance very like 
‘the Burbank, but running smaller; color dark red, marked with 
many very fine golden dots and covered with a heavy bloom ; 
flesh light yellow and soft, cling when thoroughly ripe, with 
only a tinge of almond flavor, but not sour nor bitter, the skin 
rather tough. Ripe enough for eating in the present season on 
the 14th of July, being four or five days later than Earliest of 
Alland Engre. This is the largest and best very early Japan- 
ese plum which we have tested. ‘The tree is a good grower and 
with us has been productive. 


4. BERGER.—Fig. 26. 


Strawberry. Ura-Bent. Uchi-Bent. Flonsmomo, at least of some 
nurserymen. 


Small and cherry-like, flattened endwise, with a distinct suture; 
color bright light red, with prominent bloom; flesh firm and 
meaty, yellow, free from the very small pit and with no astrin- 
gency or almond flavor, the skin not tough nor sour; ripe this 
year on the 17th and 18th of July. This is one of the most dis- 
tinct of all the Japanese plums. It has the flavor of some of the 
Domestica varieties. The handsome little fruits fall when ripe 
and should be caught on straw or hay spread underneath the 


26.—Berger. A cherry-like and attractive variety; desirable for the home garden, 


134 BULLETIN 175. 


tree. The plums are not much larger than very large cherries, 
and, coming after the sweet cherries are gone, they seem to 
piece out the cherry season. The tree is a distinct and upright 
grower, with rather narrow and light colored leaves, and the fruits 


27.—Willard. One of the early plums, but quality very poor. 


are borne well down on the older wood. We believe that the 
Berger is well worth growing in every home garden. 


5. WILLARD.—Fig. 27. 


Fruit medium to small in size, oblong, slightly angular, never 
pointed, the sinus slight or scarcely any, the stem cavity rather 


el ee ie eee ek 


ee eee Siero eke ee as St oie 


136 BULLETIN 175. 


deep; color bright red with a heavy bloom and many minute 
yellow dots; flesh soft to firm, yellow, somewhat cling, with 
a decidedly mawkish or almond flavor, skin sour: ripened this 
year July 23-25. The fruit falls easily. The quality is very 
poor, and we believe that the variety is not worth growing, par- 
ticularly since there are earlier varieties of better quality. The 
leaves are also very badly attacked with the shot-hole fungus, 
being the worst in this respect of any of the Japanese plums 
which we have grown. The branches have a straight, upright 
tendency. The leaves turn red and fall very early. 


6. KERR.—Fig. 28. 
Flattonkin of some nurserymen. Sf/attankio Oblong. 


Of medium size, tending to become fairly large when well 
thinned, tapering a very distinct long. point, the sutme 
‘ usually well marked, stem comparatively short and stout; color 
orange yellow, overlaid with a thick creamy bloom; flesh firm 
and rather meaty and yellow, cling, sweet and of fair to good 
quality when well ripened ; ripe this year from the 28th to 30th 
of July. Tree is of moderate spreading habit, much like the 
Georgeson ; foliage strong, large and good. ‘The Kerr is an 
exceedingly productive variety, and needs to be well thinned in 
order to produce the best results. It is one of the best of the 
yellow varieties. Its chief fault is that it tends to fall before it 
is fully colored, but the fruits ripen and color on the ground. 
If they are picked just before they begin to loosen from the stem 
and are stored or shipped, they will ripen up well. | 


7. RED JUNE.—Fig. 209. 
Nagate no Botankyo 


Medium to large in size, cordate-oblong and distinctly pointed, 
with a very strong suture, often lop-sided ; color deep ver- 
milion red, with a thick and handsome bloom; flesh light yellow 
or yellowish white, cling or partially cling, firm and moderately 
juicy, slightly acid to sweetish, of good quality, though not very 
rich, the skin slightly sour. We still believe that the Red June 
is one of the very best of the Japanese plums, because it is very 


‘mn JayYADUM AjADI-PUOIAS AIQUNIDA f7—'aunf pay—6z 


138 | BULLETIN 175. 


handsome and productive. It ordinarily needs heavy thin- 
ning to bring it to perfection. It varies considerably in season of 
ripening. This year the earliest fruits were ready for eating on 
July 30 and for marketing three or four days before that 
time. At the time that the Red June was coming into condition 
for eating, the Kerr was in a similar condition, Earliest of All 
and Lutts were all gone, Georgeson showed no sign of coloring, 
and the Abundance on some of the earlier trees was beginning 
to turn red. The Red June and Kerr are practically of the same 
season, although the Kerr begins to to fall from the tree a few 
days beforethe Red Juneisripe. The Red June isa bushy-topped, 
upright grower, with yellowish green foliage andredish brown 
twigs. Itisa well marked type. We are fruiting it on both 
peach and Lombard stocks. | 


8. OGon.—Fig. 30. 


Fruits medium in size or becoming large when heavily thinned, 
globular or flatened endwise, not at allconical or pointed, the 
suture prominent; color a clear lemon yellow, with a heavy 
whitish bloom, rarely with the faintest indication of a blush cheek; 
flesh thick and very meaty, comparatively hard, free from pit, 
with a very peculiar musky almond flavor. Ready to eat this 
year August 1, although they were ready to ship, anda-very few 
were edible, some three or four days before this time. It is 
practically the season of the Red June, although tending to bea 
trifle later. The tree is a strong, upright grower with heavy 
thick foliage. It does not seem to be so uniformly productive 
as some other varieties, although it tends to bear very heavily at 
times. It is readily distinguished from other early varieties by 
its globular or flatened shape, by the cavity around the pit and 
by its peculiar flavor. Its quality is indifferent—not so good as 
that of the Red June nor so bad as that of the Willard. It is 
said to be one of the best for canning. 


9. BERCKMANS.—Fig. 31. 


Fruit of medium size, round-oblong with a tendency to have 
a blunt point, more or less angular in cross-section, the suture 
not prominent; color deep bright red, especially when exposed 


A second-early yellow variety. 


—Ogon. 


. 


30 


140 BULLETIN 175. 


to the sun, moreor less yellow-splashed on the shaded side; flesh 
firm and sweet, cling or semi-cling, becoming dry and insipid 
when fully ripe. Ripe this year onthe 4th to 6thof August with 
the earliest trees of Abundance. In 1896, it also ripened with 
Abundance or just ahead of it. In1897, the same trees ripened 
two weeks later than Abundance. It is an upright grower, with 


31.—Berckmans. Distinguished, when fully ripe, by its dry flesh. 


yellowish green, rathersmall, foliage. It is readily distinguished 
from all other Japanese plums which I know by the dry and 
mealy character of the ripe fruit. 

We doubt if the Berckmans is of sufficiently high quality to 
recommend it for general planting, since the Abundance occupies 
the same season. Some of the trees which have passed for 
Berckmans are Abundance. The true Berckmans is distinguished 
by its dry flesh. 


i 


FOURTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. I4I 


10. ABUNDANCE.—Figs. 32 and 33. 


Yellow-Fleshed Botan. 


Fruit medium size or varying to nearly large when vigorously 
thinned, round-oblong with a distinct point, the suture usually 
more or less prominent; color pink-coppery-red, marked with 


32.—Abundance. A good type. Perhaps the best Japanese plum. 


many minute dots and a thin bloom; flesh firm but juicy, 
sweet, with notrace of mawkish or almond flavor when well 
thinned or well ripened, clinging to the pit. The Abundance 
isavariable plum. We have stock from various sources, amongst 
others from some of the original trees sent out as Abundance 
by Lovett. The trees vary in time of ripening, the period ranging 


142 BULLETIN 175. 


over a week or ten days, but they all seem to be indistinguishable. 
This year the first fruits were ripe on the 5th and 6thof August. 
The ordinary, and what I take to be typical Abundance, is shown 
in Fig. 32; also in Fig. 1, Bulletin 106. Some trees, however, 
produce an inferior grade of fruit, as shown in Fig. 33, but I 
cannot distinguish that this small fruit is a different variety. 


33.-—dbundance. Small or inferior type. 


Tais small-fruited type of Abundance is the one which I distin- 
guished in our Bulletin 62 as the Babcock. When the Abun- 
dance is wellthinned, it is certainly an excellent plum and one 
which most people delight to eat. Its great fault is to overbear, 
and in that case it is very liable to the fruit-rot fungus. With 
us the Abundance has been less injured with this fungus than 


i 


FOURTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 143 


the Lombard. The light pink-red color of the Abundance 
will clearly distinguish the variety from all other Japanese 
plums which we have fruited. The tree is an upright grower, 
not so spreading as the Berckmans, with larger and better foliage. 
I believe that the Abundance is the best single variety of Japan- 
ese plum. 

The Chase which we have heretofore regarded as identical 
with Chabot was this year perfectly indistinguishable from Abun- 
dance. 

We now believe that the Douglas is Abundance; or, if different, 
it is very difficult to distinguish. It seems to have a somewhat 
drier flesh than Abundance; but Abundance varies in juiciness. 


11. MARru.—See illustration on title-page. 
Written also A/asu and Massu. 


Fruit medium in size, globular or slightly flattened endwise, 
usually tending to have an obtuse point, the suture slight; 
color dark dull red or maroon red, uniform or nearly so over 
the whole surface, marked with numberless minute golden yellow 
dots; flesh rather soft and deep yellow, with a decidedly musky 
almond flavor,cling or semi-cling,the skin sour ; ripens with the 
later trees of Abundance. It is a vigorous, upright grower 
and productive, but the quality is poor, and the variety cannot 
compete with Abundance. 


12, BURBANK.—Fig. 34. 


Fruit medium in size, becoming large upon vigorous and well- 
thinned trees, round-oblong to oblong, the point not well marked, 
and the suture usually somewhat prominent; color orange-yellow 
overlaid with splashes, streaks and dots of red, giving a more 
or less marble appearance, but becoming more or less uniformly 
dense red on the cheek; flesh firm and meaty, yellow, sweet and 
rich, cling, the skin not sour nor unusually tough. The Burbank 
- ripened very unevenly with us this year, some of thetrees matur- 
ing their fruit only three or four days later than Abundance, whilst 
others were ten to eighteen days later. In 1895, as compared 
with Abundance on our grounds, it was a week later; in 1896, 


144 BULLETIN 175. 


it was from one to two weeks later ; in 1897, it was from two to 
three weeks later. The tree is an exceedingly spreading flat- 
topped grower and needs strong heading-in to keep it in shape. 
When well thinned, the fruit is large and of excellent quality, per- 
haps as good as any of the Japanese plums. It is also a good 
keeper. It usually colors up on the tree some days before it-is 
ripe. Occasional trees ripen their fruit before the main crop of 


34.—Burbank. <A standard mid-season variety. 


Abundance is ripe. In many cases, the fruit does not become soft 
and edible, even when apparently full ripe. Heretofore, we have 
regarded Burbank as the best all-around Japanese plum, but we 
are now inclined to give that place to Abundance. 

The Wassu, from Normand, was indistinguishable from Bur- 
bank in habit of tree and character of fruit in 1897 and 1898. 
This year a part of the fruit on our tree of Wassu ripened a week 


+) 


FOURTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 145 


ahead of the main crop of Burbank, but some of the fruits were 
as late as the main crop of Burbank. We believe that it is the 
same thing as the Burbank. 


13. GEORGESON.—Fig. 35. 
White Kelsey. Yeddo. Mikado. ; 
Fruit medium or becoming medium to large when well thinned, 


35.—Georgeson. A yellow plum of long-keeping qualities. 


round or round-flattenedin form, usually without a point, the 
suture distinct; color deep bright yellow with a heavy whitish 
bloom; flesh firm and solid, golden yellow, of fairly good quality, 
cling. Ripe this year the middleof August and nearly all gone by the 
time the latest treesof Burbank were ready for eating. In18g97,the 
same trees ripened their fruit from the middle to the 20 of Sep- 
tember. The tree isasprawling and forking grower, intermediate 


146 BULLETIN: 175. 


in character between the Abundance and Burbank. ‘The fruit 
isa long keeper and, if picked before it is thoroughly ripe, 
will ordinarily shrivel before it decays. The quality is medium; 
it has a little of the mawkish almond flavor, and is usually not 
prized for eating from the hand. I doubt if it is destined to be 
avery popular variety. It is one of the commonest varieties. 


36.—Hunn. A small red medium-late variety. 


We refer the White Kelsey of Normand to the Georgeson 
from specimens which we grew this year upon grafts set on 
Lombard stocks. We have not iruited Mikado. One party 
exhibited specimens of Mikado and Yeddo at the State Fair this 
year, and these were the Georgeson. Mr. Normand, however, 
ina trade circular says that the Mikado ripens fifteen days 
earlier than the Yeddo. The Yeddo, as we have fruited it, 
seems to be Georgeson. as 


FouRTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 147 


14. Hunn.—Fig. 36. 
Burbank No. 7. 


Fruit small to medium, globular, sometimes with a distinct 
short point, the suture more or less prominent; color something 
like that of Abundance but less pink, and usually a deep claret 
red with many minute, golden dots; flesh soft, deep yellow, cling, 
of fair to good quality, aromatic. Ripened this year as the 
Georgeson was passing out, that is, from the 2oth to the 24th of 
August. In 1897, it ripened also at this season, but since the 
Red June ripened with us very late that year, we compared it 
in season with that variety, and therefore called it an early plum. 
We should now call it a mid-season to late plum. It has a slight 
musky flavor, but usually not sufficiently pronounced to make it 
disagreeable. We are more favorably impressed with it this. 
year than we have been in the last two years. It is possible 
that it may deserve a place in the Japanese plums of second 
importance. We are fruiting it on the Lombard. 


15: HALE.—Fig. 37. 


Fruit medium to large, globular or somewhat globular-oblong, 
not pointed, the suture usually distinctly marked; color deep yel- 
low or orange. thinly overlaid with mottled and speckled red giv- 
ing the appearance of a yellow-red fruit, bearing a thin bloom and 
having many yellow specks; flesh soft and juicy, yellow, cling, 
of good quality, but the skin sour; ripened with us this year 
on the 24th of August. The fruit has a very slender stem and 
drops easily from the tree. The tree is a moderately spreading 
grower, being intermediate in habit between the Georgeson and 
Abundance. The fruit is of good quality, but for the last two 
seasons it has failed to color well and has dropped prematurely. 
The trees have not been very productive, although they have 
borne for three consecutive years. From its behavior thus far, 
we are of the opinion that the Hale should not be put in the 
first or leading list of Japanese plums for western New York. 
It follows the Georgeson, being in condition for eating when the 
last specimens of the Georgeson are passing. 


148 BULLETIN 175. 


16. Wuickson.—Fig. 38. 


Fruit very large, tapering from toward the base, and long 
heart-shaped with a deep strong suture; color usually a deep 


37.—Hale. Of excellent quality ; medium-late. 


maroon red, but sometimes tending to yellowish red ; flesh very 
firm and meaty, dull yellow, rich but with an aromatic almond- 
like flavor, cling, the pit small. The tree is a very narrow 


FourRTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 149 


upright grower with narrow yellowish green leaves. The fruit 
is borne far down on the old wood and not in clusters. Although 
itis said by Mr. Burbank that this plum was grown from 
Burbank seed fertilized by Kelsey pollen, I believe that it has 
Simonii blood. The character of the foliage and bloom, the 
habit of the tree and its method of fruit-bearing, together with the 


ssaeignm smmemmecc 


38.—Wickson. Thelargest of the hardy varieties. 


texture of the flesh, all point to Simonii as one of its parents.* 
The tree is perfectly hardy with us. It impresses us as being 
a shy bearer, although our trees are not yet of sufficient age to 
enable us to have tested this point. It certainly does not come 
into full bearing as early as other varieties of Japanese plums. 
From its habit of bearing far down on the old wood and the 
comparatively small amount of wood surface which it makes, 


* An opinion shared by Professor Waugh. See ‘‘ Hybrid Plums,’’ Bull. 
67, Vt. Exp. Sta. 


150 BULLETIN 175. 


it promises not to be a very prolific variety. Prunus Simoniti 
itself has been a shy bearer with us, except one year 
when the trees bore exceedingly full and the branches 
needed to be propped. It is possible, therefore, that when the 
Wickson trees arriveat agreater age, they may bear full crops. 
Most of our Wickson fruits—of which we had few— were ripe 


39.—Chabot. <An excellent late variety. 


on the 8th of September; some of them were ripe five days before 
that time. 


17. CHABOT.—Fig. 39. 
Bailey. Yellow Japan. hurugtya. O-Hatankyo. Ucht Beni of some. 


Fruit medium to large, oblong-conical, lacking the point, the 
suture usually pronounced, the the stem thick and strong; color 


FouRTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. Let 


deep orange, heavily overlaid with light cherry red or the sunny 
side becoming deep dark red, with a whitish bloom and many 
minute golden yellow dots; flesh soft to firm, yellow, with no 
almond flavor, sweet, of excellent quality, cling; ripe with us 
this year, fit for eating, from the 7th to: the 1oth of September, 
and ready for shipping a week before that time. The Chabot is 
a strong, upright grower, prolific, the fruit handsome, good and 
long keeping. Itis one of the best of the Japanese plums. 


18. SATSUMA.— Fig. 4o. 
Blood. Yoneniomo. 


Fruit medium to large, round-oblong er round-conical, 
with a short blunt point and deep suture ; color very dull dark 
brown-red with a heavy bloom, mottled with greenish dots ; 
flesh hard and blood-red, very tenaciously clinging to the small 
pit, acerb but becoming rich and pleasant when fully ripe. 
This season the Satsuma was edible and also fit for market, but 
still hard, on the 8th and roth of September. For the last three 
years the Satsuma has been a very prolific plum with us. 
When the trees were young they bore sparingly. Some growers 
complain that even when the trees are nearly mature they 
domot bear: Itis a.very long keeper..”.We believe: that it -is 
one of the coming Japanese plums. The red flesh may be against 
it in many markets. It seems to be an excellent plum for 
culinary purposes. The tree is a moderately spreading, but 
strong grower, and is distinguished from most varieties of 
Japanese plums by its habit of bearing spurs and short branches 
all along the main forks or branches of the top. | 


19. THE NORMAND HYBRID PLUMS. 


J. L. Normand, Marksville, La., has distributed a number of 
so called Japanese plums under numbers ranging fom one to 
twenty. They are hybrids of apparently unrecorded parent- 
age. Mr. ‘Normand advertizes (1899): ‘‘Out- of over 
30,000 seedling Japan plums we have fruited the past three 
years, we have selected 20 varieties. * * * Most of these 


New York. 


tn 


The latest of the Japanese plums 


40. —Satsuma 


FouRTH REPORT ON JAPANESE PLUMS. 153 


plums are across between the Japan andour native plums.” | 
One of these (No 15) we named Louisiana in our Bulletin 1309, 
giving a picture thereof. In naming this plum, we did not 
recommend it; but since these numbered plums are offered 
to the trade, it seems to be necessary to name them. ‘This 


41.—Georgia (Normand No. 20). An evident hybrid. 


year we have fruited two others of these numbered plums, and, 
with Mr. Normand’s consent, we have given them names. 
Georgia (Normand No. 20). Fig. 41. Fruit of medium size 
but variable, oblong, very blunt or sometimes with a cavity at the 
apex; color green or light greenish yellow when first ripe but 
becoming pinkish, with a very thin nearly white bloom ; flesh soft, 


154 BULLETIN 175. 


watery, sweet, cling, with a peculiar breaking skin; ripe Aug. 
24, some days in advance of the Louisiana. The tree has the 
habit and fruit of the Louisiana, but that plum is more distinctly 
heart-shaped. In common with others of these hybrids, Georgia 
drops when it is still green in color, although it is edible at that 
time, and a pinkish color appears if it is allowed to he on the 
ground. ‘The tree is a spreading, twiggy grower, with slender, 
glossy, half-zigzag branchlets and foliage suggestive of some of 
the native plums. 

Alabama (Normand No. 5).— Fruit of medium size, round- 
conical or heart-shaped ; color light bright yellow when ripe, with 
perhaps a faint pinkish cheek, covered with a very thin bloom ; 
flesh soft, sweet and juicy, cling; ripe the r4th of September. 
The latest of the plums reported in this bulletin. The fruits 
drop before fully ripe, but develop an excellent quality after they 
. have fallen. On account of its lateness, it is possible that this 
plum may have commercial value. ‘The habit of the tree is like 
that of the Georgia. 


INDEX TO VARIETIES. 


Abundanee 256) saipo. Fae ..No.10 MGSUF Gee ee fee No. 11 
Noa i 1 RYE re Fs WOM pe PRR ee cena he he ratte 19 MASS. oss oe ee II 
PROC eink anche Giprsie hae et en a tenere ee 10 Mtkado . ..00.. ae 13 
PREDOMI one Seat LE aa cee 17 Nagate no Botankyo.. nes eee 7 
BGresernags 0 ora itNonate ata soe ton 9 Norman | Hybrids ..t2a earns 19 
BE go “Ree SO ee od le oe CO I a A Normand NO. 5. aes oe 19 
TEGO Ser REHM, See kial, italien en 18 Normand No. 15 2 19 
Baeban basis eee 12 Normand NO. 20 21.2 an 19 
PSAP ORUR. INO, 87-8 Nien he oh ete ses 14 Ogon. s >) e.0005 Gee 8 
Chabot: si< Se ae onehye 17 OFT AtAn RYO non ane OS aa eae 17 
EHASE RON, eee Geta ko tl eames (ao Red June; js,02.... 62 7 
DIBROLE SISOS Bien igee ie Get ae 10 Satsuma... 6 o0ias. ed ete 18 
Flariiest orcA tae fect ee I SEVLWOENTY «3 is 'e boas we 4 
Fee TGs ei ie ase War ae Bees 2 OCRBRBON1 ee. 4 bt ee 4,17 
FLEE EVE AG ot. eat givin, Lees 17 OvaABent os in ee 4 
POL PCSOMi tee teo die tans 13 Wasse-BOlanki0 ... 2. 1 3 
GeEOrilane secs alae Sis. tone fare 19 Wasse-Sumomo. .. oe ee I 
TAA Geta Oe Bee cca aie Uk hea 15 Wass ioe Ce ee bie 
FIGHARRIO OOLONE LE Enlai ae ie 6 White Kelsey... eee 13 
FT AELON RU AR or eens ahr dial on aaa 6 Wickson aches ased arn 16 
LL OMSL ONO CAP e a Rp ewre oe ea ae ee 4 Willard -s.) 040 28 0 ee 5 
Paine eae thas Ree ca teates 14 Veddo? = O.. oA 13 
AS cea ae tiny. pA lRarouie Fe HARE yee 6 Yellow-Fleshed Botan .......... 10 
DPOUISIANA <tc Reet oie acne 19 Yellow JaP~an 0 .% sa ee 17 
Dutts ee cae ee aces mies a4 3 VONEMOMO $6.6... oss 18 
Bis FE wb AARNE LPAI ar PR to eae ne tral II VOSCDE <0 f osce vas xp 0s 4 ee I 


L. H. BATESY, 


April, 1893. 


Bulletin 51. 


Experiment Station. 


University Agricultural 


Cornell 


FOUR MEW TYPES OF FRUITS, 


Wineberry, 


Prunus Simonii, 


Crandall Currant, 


Dwarf Juneberry. 


a iY ae ae =e 
am X 


me 


AtbL« 


yee 


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S mON A et Oo 
\ ia as Yi NY 
ae Sly 


\ NS e 
.. § pe 


Sy, 


ep 


VS 


ONE ee O72 


Fin 


ok Va AY Ne 


e \ i 


ZA OD is il 


1 ee 7  . vt te 


ee eee OZ 


ae 
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\ 


WZ We 
Zk if 
AZ a 


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pe anus oo 


Waren 


‘ co \ 
e mel Ss zagee Ad ete . 
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WN IN e ts A\\ 
Spocanoete vO 


By L. H. BAILEY. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY. 


ITHACA, N.Y. 


1893. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL. 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN, 
Hon. A. D. WHITE, - - - - Trustee of the University. 
Joun B. DUTCHER, President State Agricultural Society. 
I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - Professor of Agriculture. 
G. C. CALDWELL, - - = - - Professor of Chemistry. 
JAMES Law, -— - - - Professor of Veterinary Science. 
A. N. PRENTISS,— - - : - - Professor of Botany. 
J. H. COMSTOCK, - - - - Professor of Entomology. 
L. H. BAILEY, - - - - - Professor of Horticulture. 
H. H.. WING, - - - - Asst. Professor of Dairy Husbandry. 
G. F. ATKINSON, - - - Asst. Professor of Cryptogamic Botany. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 


I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - - Director, 
HENRY H. WING, - - Deputy Director and Secretary. 
K. L. WILLIAMS, - - - - - Treasurer. 
ASSISTANTS. 

M. V. SLINGERLAND, - : - - Entomology. 
GEo. C. WATSON, - - - - - Agriculture. 

- - - - Horticulture. 
G. W. CAVANAUGH, - - - - - Chemistry. 


Offices of the Director and Deputy Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 


Those desiring this Bulletin sent to friends will please send us the names 


of the parties. 


BULLETINS OF 1893. 


50. The Bud Moth. 


51. Four New Types of Fruits. 


PO UKGN TE Wut PHS: ORVERUITS: 


New types of fruits are nearly always misjudged. ‘They are 
compared with the most similar type of well-known fruit, even 
though the two may be very unlike. It should be remembered 
that wholly new types of fruits are not to be measured by exist- 
ing standards. They are not introduced, as a rule, for the pur- 
pose of supplanting other fruits but with the intent that they shall 
add variety to our fruit-lists, and occupy places which are now 
vacant. If they fillan unsupplied demand or if they create a new 
demand, then they may be counted successful. It is often said of 
the Crandall currant, for instance, that it can never supplant the 
common currants and is therefore worthless. It is true that it can 
not compete with our present currants, but it may fill a place in 
the market or in the home demand which no other fruit fills; if — 
so, it is worthy, and we shall grow it at the same time that we in- 
crease the plantations of redand white currants. The following 
new types must ultimately stand or fall upon their own intrinsic 
characters. 

It must also be said that new types of fruits and vegetables usu- 
ally suffer from injudicious praise. Their merits are so much 
exaggerated that great disappointment results when the varieties 
come to be known, even though they really possess commendable 
features. Catalogue descriptions are so often overdrawn and col- 
ored beyond the point of belief, that they create a presumption 
against the novelty in question in the minds of intelligent per- 
sons. Novelties are often short-lived because of this disappoint- 
ment which follows excessive praise ; while if the same varieties 
had been introduced quietly and with candid descriptions, they 
might persist and eventually become acquisitions to our horticul- 
ture. Few fruits have suffered more from this unwise applause 
than the four which I am about to discuss, and I feel that I must 
create a wholly new basis of criticism before I can command the 
attention of careful men. 


34 BULLETIN 51. 


SIMON OR APRICOT PLUM.—PRUNUS SIMONII.* 


Something like a dozen years ago, this fruit began to be talked 
about in North America, although it did not gain any notoriety 
until six or seven years ago.f It had been introduced from 
France, where it was first described under its present name and 
with an admirable colored plate in 1872, by Carriére, in the Revue 
Fflorticole. J do not know when the fruit reached Europe, but it 
could not have been introduced long prior to 1872. It was named 
for Hugene Simon, who sent pits to the Paris Museum while he 
was representing the French government in China. It is proba- 
bly native to China, although Hemsley, in his recent Flora of 
China, does not mention it; but this author evidently adopts Max- 
imowicz’s opinion that it is indistinguishable from the nectarine 
and does not regard it worth distinct discussion. It was dissemi- 
nated by Simon Brothers at Metz, in Alsace, and by Thibaut & 
Keteleer, at Sceaux, France. 

Prunus Simoni began to fruit in this country about 1885 or 
1886. I fruited itin 1886.{ The fruit was also figured and de- 
scribed in the 7he Rural New- Yorker in October, 1886. ‘The 
fruit, which is shown about three-fourths size in the engraving, is 
flattened longitudinally, marked with a deep stem cavity anda 
very prominent suture, and is borne upon a very short stem. The 
color is very intense and striking, being a glowing dark red slightly 
mottled with lightershades. The flesh is yellow, hard, and clings 
tightly to the somewhat apricot-like pit. The flavor in all the 
specimens which I have tasted is very disagreeable, being mawk- 
ish bitter, and leaving a pronounced bitter almond taste in the 


* Prunus Stmonit, Carriére, Rev. Hort. xliv. 111 (1872). Persica Simonit, 
Decaisne, Fruit. du Museum, vii. 43 (1872-5). 


+ The first record which I find of Prunus Simonizi in America is a state- 
ment in Gardener’s Monthly in 1881 (Vol. xxiii. 314) that ‘‘ under this name 
Professor Bessey has a peculiar peach-like species, which has been found quite 
hardy in the college grounds at Ames, Iowa.’’ Both Professor Bessey and 
Professor Budd disclaim having had the tree at Ames at that date. Professor 
Budd writes me: ‘‘I first saw the tree in bearing in the valley of the Moselle 
in 1882. We introduced trees from Metz, Germany, in the spring of 1883. 
Its main defect is its very early blossoming and the fragile character of the 
flower.” 

tSee Amer. Gard. vii. 330. 


Four NEw ‘TYyPEs OF FRUITS. 25 


mouth. I have never tried a specimen which I could say was 
edible, and this is an unwilling confession because the fruit is ex- 
ceedingly attractive to look upon. Other persons appear to have 
had pleasanter experience with these fruits for I occasionally read 
of favorable or at least only indifferent comments upon their qual- 
ity. Butit iscertainly true that Prunus Stmonzz is not a delecta- 
ble fruit in New York. It is said that this bitterness passes 
away in cooking, although my experience in this direction has 
not been reassuring. | 

But there are other demerits in this plant besides its mawkish- 
bitter fruits. It is not a productive tree so far as I have observed, 
and I have seen it in many different plantations. It bears young, 
but the fruiting is not profuse. Many of the fruits are borne upon 
spurs upon the old wood, and they are often found well down to 
the base of the leaf-bearing portions of the top. 

The two transcendent merits of the fruit of Prunus Simoni are 
the very handsome shape and color, and its long keeping quali- 
ties consequent upon its hard flesh. Ripe fruits will ordinarily 
keep a week or ten days in good condition. And aside from these 
merits, the tree appears to be as hardy as the common plums. 
But it blooms early and is often caught by late frosts. Professor 
Budd recently speaks of it as followsin Iowa: “‘ Fruit large to 
very large, red in color, andis shaped much like a smooth tomato. 
Its fault is in the way of too early blossoming. It will pay to 
grow this fine fruit by laying down in winter, as recommended for 
the peach. This tree is not fully hardy at Ames without winter 
protection.* 

The fruit of Prunus Simoni ripens with the early peaches. In 
New York it ripens about with the Early Rivers peach. The 
specimens which are shown in the accompanying engraving were 
ripe August 24th, 1892, They grew upon heavy soil in western 
New York. ‘The fruit often drops before it is fully ripe and it fre- 
quently rotson thetree. Although itis apparently less liable to 
attacks of curculio than peaches and plums, it is not exempt from 
such injury, as it is often said to be. 

Prunus Simonit is a wholy distinct species from any Aree 
stone fruit. It is not a hybrid between the plum and apricot, as 


* Exp. with New Orchard Fruits, etc., 23, in Bull. 19, lowa Exp. Sta. (1892). 


36 BULLETIN, 51. 


some have supposed. Botanically, it probably belongs in the 
peach section of the genus Prunus, although it is more plum 
than peach in character of fruit and habit of tree. Maximowicz, 
arenowned Russian botanist who has given much attention to 
the celestial floras,has said* that it is identical with the nectarine, 
but he certainly could not have had a personalacquaintanee with 
the plant. The flowers are shown upon the title page of this 
bulletin. The two sprigs at the right show the flowers as they 
appear in Maryland, being sessile and coming out sometime ahead 
of the leaves. The left-hand sprigs show the stalked flowers open- 
ing with the starting of the leaves, as they appear in New York. 
This difference in behavior of flowers is different latitudes has 
been mentioned in my plum bulletin (Bull. 38, pp. 22, 30, 31,37) 
and it is now under investigation Prunus Simonzii grows well 
upon plum stocks,upon:which it is probably oftenest worked in the 
north. Italso takes upon the peach,. and upon the Myrobalan 
‘and Marianna plums. 

After some years of study of this fruit, I am forced to con- 
clude that it is.worthless for orchard cultivation in New York.f 


* Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Petersburg, xi. 669 (1883) 


{The Simon plum appears to be successful in California. The California 
Fruit Grower (Aug. 27, 1892) comments upon its ready sale in the eastern 
markets and says it ‘‘has taken a leading position throughout the s:ason.’’ 
I. H.Thomas speaks of it in Wickson’s California Fruits (p 344) as ‘large, 
six and a quarter to seven inches in circumference ; flesh firm, rich, sweet, 
aromatic, delicious, with marked pineapple and faint banana flavors.’’ I find 
reports of auction sales of California plums to run per box (20 lbs.) as follows: 
Chicago: July 2, 1892. Cherry plum, $2; Peach plum, $1.30 and $3.75 ; 

Simon, $5.50. 

July 8. Cherry plum, $1.80; Peach plum $2.50 and $3.30; Duane Purple, 

$3; Simon, $5.75. 

July 12. Duane Purple, $2.05 and $2.65 ; Washington, $3.25; Cherry, $2.35; 

Peach. $1 and $3.15; Simon, $2 and $5. 

New York: July 2. St. Catharine, $3; Peach plum, $3.45 ; Royal Hative, 
$2.05 and $2.55; St. Catharine, $2.65 and $2.70 ; Peach $2.80 and $3.10; 
Simon, $4.90. 

July 5. Cherry plum, $1.10 and $1.15; Royal Hative, $2.05 and $2.55 ; 

St. Catharine. $2 65 ; and $2.70; Peach, $2.80 and $2.10 ; Simon, $4.90. 

Juiy 9. Japan plums, $2.85 and $2.95; Duane Purple, $2.10 @ $2.40; 

Peach, 2.30 and $2.60; Simon, $4. 


Four NEw TvPES OF FRUITS. 37 


It is possible that hybrids between {this and the peach or other 
fruits may possess commercial merit. If hybrids could be ob- 
tained with the peach, they might be expected to be hardier than 
the peach. As an ornamental tree, Prunus Simonii has distinct 
merit, its erect poplar-like habit, interesting conduplicate leaves, 
early flowers and glowing fruits making it a conspicuous object. | 


WINEBERRY.—RUBUS PHGtNICOLASIUS.* 


In 1887, Professor C. C. Georgeson, travelling in Japan, sent 
seeds of this raspberry, collected from wild bushes,to J. T’.. Lovett 
Little Silver, N. J. In 1889, Mr. Lovett sold the resulting stock 
to John Lewis Childs who introduced the plantin 1890 as Japan- 
ese Wineberry.t Professor Georgeson describes the wild berries 
as ‘‘of good size, firm and handsome.’’ ‘‘When the sepals [or 
burr] first open the berry is white, but in two or three days it 
turns bright red, when it becomes sweet and delicious, with a 
flavor something between the common red raspberry and the 
black cap.’’ ‘‘It is not cultivated by the Japanese, but they 
gather the berries wherever found.’’ A berry which possesses 
such decided merits in a wild state may be expected to yield good 
varieties under cultivation, but one cannot expect that a miscel- 
laneous batch of seedlings thrown upon the market will present 
uniformvalue. Thecurrent number of the Way/flower, published 
by John Lewis Childs, contains an unsigned article recommend- 
ing propagation by seed as the best method of multiplying 
the Wineberry. Mr. Childs’ 1893 catalogue contains the same 
advice, although it also says that the plant is propagated by means 


July 7. Cherry plum, $1.65 and $2.50; Peach p'um $3.80 and $4.15; 
Simon, $5. 
Boston: July 2. St. Catharine, $2.37 and $5 ; Royal Hative, $2.50 and $3.75 ; 
Cherry, $2.75; Simon, $7.25. 

Whether these remarkable sales are due to the mere novelty of the fruit and 
its taking appearance, or toits intrinsic merits, I am unable to say. It is said 
that Prunus Simonii loves a dry hot climate, and this may account for its 
good behavior in California. 


*Rubus phenicolasius, Maximowicz, Bull. Acad. Sci. St. Petersburg, 
viii. 393 (1872). Bot. Mag. t. 6479 (1880). 


+ See Amer. Gard. xii. 204 (1891). 


38 BULLETIN 51. 


of ‘‘tips.’’ If the plant is inclined to be variable, this advice is 
unsafe for the propagation of the plant for fruit ; and if the plant 
is not variable, it has little value for fruit judging from our experi- 
ence. This /ayflower article says that “‘there is probably no small 
fruit so eminently desirable and satisfactory for the family garden 
as the Wineberry.’’* ‘The 1893 catalogue of Mr. Childs says 
that the Wineberry ‘‘isthe most desirable, hardy and profitable 
small fruit for any climate or soil.’’- The flavoris ‘‘ very spright- 
ly, sweet and juicy, having no disagreeable sour, but a delicate 
and luscious flavor peculiar to itself,and superior to other berries.”’ 
““Tt is the most prolific berry known, the bushes being literally 
covered with its large clusters of luscious fruit which are very 
easily gathered. Owing to their novelty, superb flavor and great 
beauty they sell more readily and at far better prices than any 
other berry.’’ : 

‘The accompanying illustration is from a photograph three 
fourths natural size made from the wineberry on our grounds last 
summer. The plants were received from Mr. Childs in 1890. 
‘The photograph was taken August 25, although the fruit began 
to ripen sometime before this date. The fruits were very small 
—as raspberries go—and the pips were so little connected that 
the fruit crumbled when picked. The fruit was cherry red,acrid, 
with little pronounced flavor. It had little either in size, appear- 
ance or quality to recommend it. Whether all wineberries are 
like ours, Ido not know. It isto be expected that considerable 
variation will be found among them, if they are grown from 
seeds, as I have already suggested. 

H. EK. VanDeman, United States Pomologist, reports as follows 
upon wineberry fruits received from Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.: 
““ Berry round, drupes small,deep red, glossy; seeds small,smooth, 
easily crushed ; a handsome berry of medium size and fairly firm; 
flavor subacid, somewhat sprightly, pleasant. More ornamental 
than useful.’’? The plant has aroused considerable comment in 
“England anda portrait of it was givenin the Gardeners’ Chronicle, 
Sept. 18, 1886; but it is always recommended as an ornamental 
plant, and never for fruit, so faras I have seen. 

If our wineberry gives little promise for fruit, the plants never- 


* Mayflower, 1x, 81. 


Simon or Apricot Plum.—Prunus Simoniz. 


. 


lasius 


1CO 


—Rubus phen 


berry 


Wine 


Four New Types OF FRUITS. 39 


theless possess decided merit for certain kinds of ornamental 
planting. The bristly red canes and rich leaves with felt-white 
color beneath, render the plant very striking ; and the bright little 
fruits remind one of fragile coral beads sprinkled over the plant. 
These fruits are at first enclosed in the burr-like calyx, and this 
covering is thought to afford the plants a distinct value in keeping 
insects from the fruit. ‘“‘ The hairy, viscous calyx, which covers 
the berry till it is full grown, effectually repels allinsects,’’ Pro- 
fessor Georgeson writes. ‘This may be true; but if the fruit 
were to develop to the point of commercial usefulness, burrowing 
insects would undoubtedly find this dense calyx to be an excel- 
lent protection from outside attacks. The plantis about as hardy 
‘as the common raspberries here, although it failed to endure the 
winters at Kew, England (near London).* 

‘This interesting plant was first clearly described in 1872, by the 
Russian botanist, Maximowicz. He reported it as growing in 
Yezo and Nippon, Japan. A plant of it was sent to Kew in 1875, 
from the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, and from this Sir J. D. Hooker 
_ described the species, with an illustration, in the Botanical Maga- 
. gimé, in 1880. - Hooker characterized it as ‘‘ a singularly hand- 
- som bramble,’’ and-said that ‘the fruit, ‘‘ though eatable, is maw- 


s kish.’’ . It was early introduced into this country under its proper 


“name of Rubus phenicolasius (the specific name meaning ‘‘ pur- 
ple-red hairy’’), and was sold’ by Ellwanger & Barry in 188r. 

I also received seeds of it from the orient four or five years ago. 

P. J. Berckmans, President of the American Pomological Society, 
speaking of the wineberry as having been figured in 1877, adds 
that it ‘‘ was. known in Holland for a generation before, and cul- 
tivated simply as a curiosity in many gardens, the fruit being de- 
void of any value. Still the new comer may be a form of the well- 
known sort with better fruit, and if so I will watch it with some 
interest, as I had known it for nearly fifty years.’’} I have grown 
the plants sold by Ellwanger & Barry by the side of the Wine- 
berry from Childs, and they are both Rubus phenicolasius. E. 8. 
Carman has been able to cross this plant with ‘‘ both the black- 
berry and the rose.’’{ 


* W. Watson in Garden and Forest, v. 66 (1892). 
+ Quoted in American Gardening, xiv. 246 (Apr. 1893). 
{ Proc. 6th Conv. Soc. Am. FI. 92 (1890). 


40 BULLETIN 51. 


Although I find no fruit with commercial value in our wineberry 
plants, I am nevertheless ready to believe that the species 
may eventually give us fruit of considerable value ; but for the 
present I should class it among the ornamentals rather than among 
the fruits. 


4 


CRANDALL CURRANT.—RIBES AUREUM.* 


Good and poor types of the Crandall Currant. 


The Crandall currant was named for R. W. Crandall, of New- 
ton, Kansas, who found it growing wild. It was introduced in 
the spring of 1888, by Frank Ford & Son, Ravenna, Ohio. We 
bought 50 plants of Mr. Ford in 1888, and set them in a continu- 
ous row upon high gravelly soil. I have given close attention to 
the plant since that time and have made two or three reports upon 


it.T 


*Ribes aureum, Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 164 (1814). A. fragrans, Loddiges, 
Bot Cat..t.2.1533; 


t See Amer. Gard. x. 309 (1889). Bull. xv. Cornell Exp. Sta. 207 (1889). 
Annals of Horticulture for 1891, 52. 


Four NEW TYpPss OF FRUITS. AI 


This type or species of currant undoubtedly has great promise 
as the parent of a new and valuable race of small fruit. The 
Crandall, however, is too variable to be reliable. I early noticed 
that comparatively few of our plants produce abundantly of large 
fruits, while many of them bear fruits little larger than occasional 
plants of the common flowering currant, to which species the 
Crandall belongs When the crop was at its hight last year 
(July 26, 1892) I made a record of the size of fruit upon each plant, 
classifying it into three categories—poor, fairly good, and good. 
The poor fruit was such as appeared to be little larger than the 
fruit of the flowering currant, or such as is shown—five-eighths 
natural size—in the lower spiay in the engraving. The good 
fruit is represented in the upper spray in the engraving, and it 
ran from five-eighths to three-fourths inch in diameter. The fairly 
good fruits were those of intermediate size. In order to show that 
soil did not cause these differences, I transfer the consecutive 
record of the plants beginning with the end of the row: 


6 plants, poor 
free good 
poor 
fairly good 
good 
poor 
‘* good 
rh poor 
good 
i poor 
fairly good 
poor 
fairly goorl 
poor 
‘« good 
os poor 
‘« good 
‘« fairly good 
iy poor 
good 


NH No He NY HSH BDH NH WH He YR KH NN 


50 
27 poor ; It fairly good ; 12 good. 

Only a dozen plants, or less than a fourth of the whole num- 

ber, could be called profitable. There is every reason to expect 


A2 BULLETIN 51. 


that if cuttings were taken from these plants alone, the Crandall 
currant would soon rise in popular estimation. At its best, 
the Crandall has decided merits. The fruits are large and hand- 
some, firm, of good culinary quality, and the plant is thrifty, 
hardy and productive. The fruits are borne in very short and 
open clusters, to be sure, but they are not picked by the cluster 
like the red and white currants, but singly like the gooseberries. 
To some people the flavor of the fruit is disagreeable and it has 
been called a medicinal flavor; but there are others—the writer 
included—who are fond of them, even to eat from the hand. In 
pies and jellies we have found them to be useful. It is not to be 
expected, of course,! that these 
fruits will find a ready market, 
because consumers. are not. ac- 
quainted with them; but if the 
stock were more uniform, I think 
that the Crandall could be 
recommended asa good fruit ) 
for home consumption. «4 Sa ‘ 
There are undoubtedly pos- Sen 
sibilities before this type of , @\“W 
currant, and for this reason; 4 ~ 

if for no other, the intro- 

duction of the Crandall has 
been fortunate. The plant 
grows readily from seeds, and we 
now haye several hundred seed- 
lings. 

The Crandall so far has been free 
foi’ attacks ~ of thes | currant 
worm, although our plants grow in 
a general currant and gooseberry... “/owers,of Crandall Currant. 
plantation in which the worms are (1a Steen 
common. It has been seriously attacked by the spot disease of the 
leaves, however (Sep/foria ribzs), especially late in the season when 
the crop is nearly off and from that time until the leaves drop. 
‘The leaves develop many brownish spots of a circular outline and 
which are an eighth of an inch or more across. As the tissue in 
these spots dies, the portion becomes more or less translucent. 


a 


' Four NEw TyYPEs OF FRUITS. 43 


Finally the whole leaf yellows and drops. Ifthe attack should be 
serious upon young leaves, they never attain their full growth. 
This disease has been successfully treated by Professor Pammel 
with sprays of Bordeaux mixture and ammoniacal carbonate of 
copper.* 

Ribes aureum, to which species the Crandall belongs, is native 
to a large area from Missouri and Arkansas westward, It has 
long been cultivated in yards for the long sweet yellow flowers, 
which are shown half size in the engraving. It is also sold by 
some nurserymen as Ales fragrans. 


DWARF JUNEBERRY.—AMELANCHIER CANADENSIS 
VAR. OBLONGIFOLIA.+ 


Two or three forms of this interesting little fruit have been intro- 
duced to cultivation within the past few years, of which the best. 
known is'the variety called Success. This variety was brought 
tonotice by H. E. VanDeman, United Stated Pomologist, who 
found the plants growing in a garden in Kansas in 1873.{ The 
variety was namediand put upon the market about 1878 by Mr. 
VanDeman. ‘We procured 200'plants in the. spring of 1888, and 
these have now given us three good crops. The plants have never 
been headed in but they do not stand more than three or four feet 
high at the present time, and they are upon: strong soil. They 
were set three feet apart and the sprouts are now begining to fill 
the row. 

The fruit ripens here with the early currants and lasts nearly 
as long as the currants. Last year, the last fruits were picked 
July 18. The accompanying picture shows a good cluster, full 
size. ‘The berries closely resemble huckleberries,as well in flavor 
asin appearance. They are more juicy and palatable than huckle- 
berries, however. The plants are exceedingly productive and 
hardy. Professor Alwood, of the Virginia Experiment Station 
writes in the Southern Planter :$ ‘‘ The fruit which is now, June 


* See Bull. 13, Iowa Exp. Sta. tt 
+ Amelanchier Canadensis var. oblongifolia, Torrey and Gray, Fl, N. 


‘Am. i, 473 (1838). A. Canadensis var. obovialis, Sargent, Silva N. Am. iv, 128 


(1892)? This dwarf Juneberry is undoubtedly .a distinct ,species from A. 
Canadensis. 


{See Annals Hort. for 1891, 51, for a fuller history. 
2 Southern Pianter, liii. 400 (July, 1892). 


44 BULLETIN 51. 


16th, just ripening, is nearly as large as ordinary smocth peas, 
and has a pleasant, sweet taste, accompanied by a not easily de- 
scribed but pleasant aroma. In quality itis, to my taste, superior 
to the huckleberry, and ranks well with the strawberry. I ven- 
ture to predict that this fruit will become very popular, and fill 
a real need for a first-class small fruit, ripening just at the close 
of the strawberry season.’’ Professor Alwood reaffirms this 


Success Juneberry. (Natural size.) 


opinion in a recent bulletin.* JI subscribe to the above encom- 
ium. The fruit is excellent whether eaten from the hand, dried 
in sugar, or otherwise prepared. . | 

There is one serious difficulty in the cultivation of this fruit, 
however, which we have not been able to overcome—the in- 
cursions of the robins. There isno fruit on our plantation which 
is so irresistable to the birds as this, and nothing short of actual 
shooting will keep them away. ‘The only wav in which we can 
save asingle fruit is to cover the branch with mosquito netting and 


* Bull. 22, Va. Exp. Sta 109. 


Four NEw TYPES OF FRUITS. A5 


tie or sew it on securely, and even then the birds often steal the 
fruit. It has been suggested that if we had an acre of Juneber- 
ries, there would be enough fruit for the birds and ourselves, too ; 
but the robins of the whole country-side seem to know our June- 
berry patch, and if we had more berries the only result would be, 
I fear, that we should 


have more robins.* g 
But the birds bear me Sh) 
out in the statement , JE Sv. 
that the Juneberries 74735 
are good ! fff 

This dwarf Juneber- 


ry » or service-berry 
grows wild over a 
large part of the 
northern states, al- 
ways remaining a low | 
bush so far as I have observed it. The wa 
natural variations of the Juneberry are SS 
perplexing, and this variety is no ex- PZ 
ception to the rule. But I am con- 


.> Ns 


RUD, 
WNBA 
7] Ye, 


vinced that these dwarf forms are 3 yi iN 
specifically distinct from the common  /Vowers of Success /uneberry. 
tree-like Juneberry or Shad-bush (Half size) 


(Amelanchier Canadensis). Weare not yet ready to report upon 
other cultivated varieties of Juneberry, but the Success is an ac- 
quisition if the birds can be induced to avoid it. 


Ty. Hie BAILEY. 


* Professor Budd writes as follows upon this point in a recent number of 
Rural Life (Feb. 16, 1893, p. 12): ‘‘ The great drawback to the culture in a 
small way of the Dwarf Juneberry is the special fondness of the birds for the 
fruit. In plantations of an acre or more the fruit taken by the birdsis hardly 
missed, but it is difficult to secure a perfect specimen -from a half dozen or a 
dozen plants; unless they are covered. In the:near’ future the tanned bird- 
netting for covering such fruits as the Juneberry and cherry, which we now 
are compelled to import, will be manufactured in our country. The inquiries 
we now have lead us to hope that the manufacture will be commenced the 
coming year.’’ ‘This material can be had of George Robinson, Rye, Sussex, 
England, and can be delivered in America for about three cents per yard. 


BULLETINS OF 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 


1888 TO 1892 INCLUSIVE. 


No. 1, Experimental Dairy House; No. 2, Feeding Lambs for 
Fat and Lean ; No.3, Insectary of Cornell University, Wireworms, 
Plum Curculio; No. 4, Growing Corn for Fodder and Ensilage ; 
No. 5, Lean meat in Mature Animals, Heating Milk before Set- 
ting ; No. 6, Fodders and Feeding Stuffs; No. 7, Influences 
Affecting Sprouting of Seeds; No. 8, Different Rations for Fat- 
tening Lambs; No. 9, Windbreaks in their Relation to Fruit 
Growing ; No. 10, Tomatoes ; No. 11, Saw Fly Borer in Wheat ; 
No. 12, Apparatus for Drying in Hydrogen and Extracting Fat ; 
No. 13, Leaching of Farm Yard Manure, Grain for Cows at Pas- 
ture; No. 14, Strawberry Leaf Blight; No. 15, Sundry Investi- 


- gations of 1889; No. 16, Growing Corn for Fodder and Ensilage ; 


No. 17, Cochran’s Method for Testing Milk ; No. 18, Experiences 
in Spraying; No. 19, Condition of Fruit Growing in Western 
New York; No. 20, Cream Raising by Dilution ; No. 21, Toma- 
toes; No. 22, Grain for Cows at Pasture; No. 23, Insects Injuri- 
ous to Fruit; No. 24, Clover Rust; No.25, Sundry Investigations 
of 1890; No. 26, Egg Plants; No. 27, Farm Manures; No. 28, 
Forcing Tomatoes ; No. 29, Cream Raising by Dilution; No. 30, 
Influence of Electric Light on Greenhouse Plants ; No. 31, Fore- 
ing English Cucumbers ; No. 32, Tomatoes; No.33, Wireworms; 
No. 34, Dewberries; No. 35, Combination of Fungicides and 
Insecticides ; No. 36, Grain for Cows at Pasture ; No. 37, sundry 
Investigations of 1891; No. 38, Native Plums and Cherries; No. 
39, Creaming and Aerating Milk; No. 40, Removing Tassels from 
Corn; No. 41, Steam and Hot Water for Heating Green Houses ; 
No. 42, Electro-Horticulture ; No. 43, Trouble of Winter Toma- 
toes; No. 44, Pear Tree Psylla; No. 45, Tomatoes; No. 46, Mul- 
berries; No. 47, Feeding Lambs and Pigs; No. 48, Spraying 


Apple Orchards; No. 49, Sundry Investigations of 1892. 


Of. these numbers, 2, 4, .5, 7; 8;.9,.I0, 11,12, 13, 14) 05oetuuenes 
19, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, are out of print; the 
remainder will be sent to any desiring them. 


~~ = 


1896. 


VERMONT 


AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 


VI. 


ee eee ee 


BWiZEE LIN» No: 53. 


AUGUST, 1896. 


The Pollination of Plums. 


SUMMARY. (Page 47). 

COMMON ORCHARD OBSERVATIONS, (Pages 48-49). 
CROSS-POLLINATION AND FRUITFULNESS, (Pages 49-50). 
CROSS-POLLINATION IN PLUMS. (Pages 50-56). 

BOTANICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF PLUMS. (Pages 57-62), 

1. CONSPECTUS OF CULTIVATED AND NATIVE SPECIES. (Pages 57-59) 
2. REMARKS UPON BOTANICAL GROUPS. (Pages 59-62), 

QUOTED OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. (Pages 62-64). 


VII. QUERIES. (Page 64). 


BURLINGTON : 
FREE PRESS ASSOCIATION. 
1896, 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL. 


Pres. M. H. BUCKHAM, ex-officio, Burlington. 
Hon. E. J. ORMSBEE, Brandon. 

Hon. CROSBY MILLER, Pomfret. 

Hon. CASSIUS PECK, Brookfield. 

Hon. G. S. FASSETT, Enosburgh. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 


C4 


L. HILLS, Director and Chemist. 
. H. PERKINS, Entomologist. 
R. JONES, Botanist. 

A. WAUGH, Horticulturist. 

A, RICH, Veterinarian. 

O. WHITE, Assistant Chemist. 
H. JONES, Assistant Chemist. 

. D. HOWE, Farm Superintendent. 
J. ©. ROBINSON, Dairyman. 
MARY A. BENSON, Stenographer. 
E. H. POWELL, Treasurer. 


VODs HHA 


("Copies of the reports and bulletins of the Station are sent free of 
charge to any address upon application. 

(a@s- Address all communications, not to individual officers, but to the 
Agricultural Experiment Station, Burlington, Vt. 

Ofices and laboratories are at Experiment Station building, corner 
Main Street and University Place. 

Experim2nt Farm and buildings are on the Williston road, adjoining 
the University grounds on the east. 


THE POLLINATION OF PLUMS. 
By F. A. Wavau. 


I. SUMMARY. 


II. Plums are very uncertain in setting fruit. A part of this un- 
certainty seems to be due to lack of proper cross-pollination. To secure 
cross-pollination plums of different varieties should be closely planted, 
or scions of different varieties should be set into the tops of trees which 
do not bear satisfactory crops of fruit. (Pages 48-49.) 

III. Cros3-pollination is au important factor in determining the 
crops of pears, apples, grapes, strawberries and other fruits. (Page 49.) 

IV. Cross-pollination in plums is provided for by several natural 
adaptations, especially by the defectiveness of flower parts and by the 
sterility of certain varieties toward their own pollen (Pages 50-56.) 

V. American varieties of cultivated plums have arisen from sev- 
eral distinct botanical species. These varieties retain more or less the 
characters of the parent species, and thus may be judged to some ex- 
tent by their parentage It is thought that the botanical relation- 
ships of varieties will prove to be the best guide to their affinities in 
cross-pollination. (Page 57.) 

The economic characters of these groups may be generalized as 
follows: 

European; (Prunus domestica); hardy; best and most salable 
fruit; perfect pistils; not good pollen bearers. (Page 59.) 

Myrobolan; used as _ stock, but losing in favor, being supple- 
meuted by Marianna and Americana varieties. (Page 59.) 

Japanese; comparatively new; relative value uncertain; several 
varieties practically hardy. (Page 59.) 

Americana group; the Western wild plum; very hardy; fruit 
good but inferior to European; good stocks; very delicate sexually ; 
usually requires cross-pollination. Eastern forms (var. nigra) are 
even more hardy than Western forms; range further north; stronger 
pistils; weaker pollen bearers. (Page 59.) 

Wild Goose Group; about as hardy as Japanese plums; thought 
to need cross-pollination and to be weak pollen bearers. (Page 61.) 

Marianna; probably a hybrid; sexually weak; uncertain bearer; 
chiefly used as stock (Page 61 ) 

Chicasaw; of Southern origin; doubtfully hardy in Vermont; 
many prolific and desirable varieties. (Page 61.) 

VI. Eminent horticulturists and botanists agree in the general 
desirability of cross-pollination in plums. (Pages 62-64.) 

VII. Although we have gained some knowledge as to the pollina- 
tion of plums, there are yet many questions of practical importance and 
the retical interest open to investigation. Itis hoped that this bulle- 
tin will call attention to some of these unanswered questions and direct 
the reader to further observation and reflection. (Page 64.) 


48 BouuetTin 58. 


II. COMMON ORCHARD OBSERVATIONS. 


Among the multitudinous uncertainties of fruit growing the produc- 
tion of a crop of plums presents the greatest combination of obscure and 
unmanageable factors. Evenif a heavy crop of fruit is set, the curculio, 
the gouger and the brown rot—all peculiarly hard of suppression—remain 
between it and the market. But there are many uncertainties in the set- 
ting of the crop. At times plum trees are so greatly overloaded with fruit 
that the branches may be broken to the ground. Other varieties, or the 
same varieties in different localities, or the same trees in different years 
may show hardly any fruit. Moreover this condition of varying fruitful- 
ness is largely independent of the crop of blossoms which the trees may 
produce. Plums are notably prolific bloomers ; yet many trees are loaded 
with blossoms year after year without the smallest result in fruit. A crop 
of plum blossoms is no satisfactory indication of a crop of plums. 

These are matters of common remark. Observant orchardists have 
long ago learned to shun unproductive varieties and to destroy the more 
nearly sterile trees. More recently it has become customary to refer cases 
of total or partial sterility to lack of cross-pollination, and, proceeding on 


Note. Following the better usage of the present day, the term “fertilization,” 
and all its derivatives have been discarded as far as possible, and the terms “*pollina- 
tion’? and “fecundation” substituted. Pollination refers to the application of the 
pollen tothe stigma of a flower, whether naturally or artificially accomplished. 
Fecundation applies to the actual union of the reproductive substance in the pollen 
grain with the egg-nucleus of the young seed or ovule. Thus fecundation may or 
may not follow pollination. The term fertilization may sometimes be useful in 
referring to both processes together, or in cases where it is desirable not tomakea 
distinction between the two. Fora discussion of this subject see Proceedings Madi- 
son Botanical Congress, 1893, page 34. 


NoTE. Reference to 

) the accompanying cut 
may help some readers to 
r uuderstand certain terms 
| necessarily used in this 


Anther -.- — 


| 
wer Stigma | 
| Pisti 


Stamensw- 


bulletin. The pollen, or 

“pellen dust,’ is the 

Ovule ) (usually) yellow dust 

borne within the anthers. 

FIGURE I. DIAGRAM OF PLUM BLOSSOM. An anther is one of the 

little pollen sacks taken by itself. An anth-r with the slender stem supporting it 

constitutes astamen. The pistil is made up of th2 stigma, the style, and the ovary. 

The stigma receives the pollen when pollination takes piace. The style is merely the 

stem between the stigma and the ovary. The ovary contains the seed or seeds; and, 
in the case of the plum, enlarges to make the fruit. 


PoLLINATION OF PLuMs. 49 


this theory, mixed planting and the inter-grafting of different varieties 
have been frequently advised and practiced. Cases which lend support to 
this theory will occur to almost every horticulturist. Mr. L. M. Macomber 
of North Ferrisburgh, Vt., has a tree of naturalized plum from Minne- 
sota (the typical Prunus Americana), which blossomed heavily each 
spring but did not bear a fruit for several years. Later a tree of another 
variety standing near it began to blossom. The first year after the blos- 
soming of the Lawrence, and each succeeding year, the Minnesota plum 
bore heavy loads of fruit. Similar cases could be cited indefinitely. 


III... CROSS-POLLINATION AND FRUITFULNESS., 


The influence which cross-pollination is assumed to have in the 
increased number of plums set in certain cases, is analagous to that 
which has been shown to exist with many other plants. Cross-pollination 
(or cross-fertilization) is associated in the popular mind with the produc- 
tion of wonderful new varieties of fruits, flowers and vegetables,—with 
hybrids and colored plates and fruit-tree agents. But in the light of more 
thoughtful study it seems doubtful whether this is the chief role which 
pature intended for cross-pollination, or whether, indeed, it is a natural 
role at all. It seems rather that cross-pollination has its best usefulness in 
its immediate effects in provoking certain flowers to bear fruit which oth- 
erwise would have been abortive, or in stimulating certain fruits to a more 
perfect development than they would attain through self fecundation. 
Waite* has recently shown the importance of cross-pollination with 
certain varieties of pears; and the same author says:{ ‘‘Apples are more 
inclined to be sterile to their own pollen than pears. . With the former in 
the great majority of cases, no fruit resulted from self-pollination.”” Beacht 
has shown that several varieties of grapes are more or less self-stevile; and 
Green| has added some useful notes in the same line. _P pe ys asserts that 
our native plums ‘‘do not fertilize themselves;” and the experiments of 
Heideman‘] with varieties of Prunus Americana indicate not only fre- 
quent self-sterility but also a remarkably capricious selective affinity 
among certain varieties. Itisin the A, B, C of strawberry culture that 
certain varieties normally bear pistillate blossoms which require pollina-_ 
tion from other varieties; and that certain other sorts are particularly 


*M.B. Waite, The Pollination of Pear Flowers, Bull. 5, Div. Veg. Path., U. 8. 
Dep. Ag. 

+ 1pid. p. Sl. 

¢S. A. Beach, Notes on Self-Pollination of the Grape, N. Y. State Sta. Rpt. 1892, 
p. 597. Impotency of Grape Pollen, Garden and Forest, 1593, p. 199. 

| S. B. Green, Cross-Fertilization of Grapes, Minn. Exp. Sta. Bull. 32, p. 229. 

2 L. H. Bailey, Cultivation of the Native Plums, Corneil Exp. Sta. Bull. 38, p. 43. 

(| C. W. H. Heideman, The Sexual Affinities of Prunus Americana, Minn. Hort. . 
Soc. Rept. 1895, p. 187. 


50 Buuwuetin 53. 


useful for the quantity and prepotency of their pollen. It seems possible, 
or even probable, that when we have gone a little deeper into the question 
of the pollination of apples, pears and plums, we will designate their 
sexual capabilities and affinities as positively as we do now those of the 
strawberry. It is evident that when our knowledge of these fruits gains 
that degree of exactness we will have made a great advance in pomology. 
In the meantime we may regard it as the soundest practice to plant plum 
trees thickly together and to see that the varieties are well mixed. 


IV. CROSS-POLLINATION IN PLUMS. 


Cross-pollination is advantageous to many varieties of plums, and 
necessary to at least afew. This preference for foreign pollen is not con- 
fined to the blossoms of cultivated varieties, but shows itself quite unmis- 
takably in many wild plums. The aboriginal forms of Prunus Ameri- 
cana seem to be especially delicate in their capabilities of fecundation. 
To meet this need plums do not naturally depend alone on the chance 
transfer of pollen by insects or wind, but cross-pollination is provided for 
and self-pollination is provided against by various interesting modifica- 
tions of the typical flower. 

The form of the flower may be changed. There are possible six dis- 
tinct variations.* In two of these the pollen and stigma mature at different 


*These forms are classified by Darwin in ‘Different Forms of Flowers in 
Plants of the Same Species,”’ and the classification has been recently applied to plums 
by Heideman in his article on ‘‘'The Sexual Affinities of Prunus Americana,” referred 
to elsewhere. They areas follows: 

I. Those in which the stigmas and the pollen mature at different times,—Dichogamous. 
a. Those in which the stigma has passed the receptive stage before the pollen 
matures,—FProterogynous. 
b. Those in which the pollen ripens before the stigma is receptive,—Proteran- 
drous. 
II. Thosein which the pistils are either much longer or much shorter than the 
stamens,—Aeterostyled. 
a. Those in which the pistils are much longer than the stamens,— Long-styled. 
b. Those in which the pistils are much shorter than the stamens,—Short-styled. 
III. Those bearing flowers sexually imperfect,—Aisex ual. 
a. Those in which the pistils are normal, but the anthers defective,— Gyno- 
aiacious. 
b. ‘Those in which the anthers are normal, but the pistils defective,—Axdro- 

PHONHCCIOUS. 

According to my own observations the proterogynous forms are relatively com- 
mon in the Western wild plum, the typical Prunus Americana, and its varieties. Pro- 
terandrous forms are infrequent and not pronounced, though Professor Sargent, who 
makes frunus nigra separate from P. Americana, mentions proterandry as charac- 
teristic of that species. Long-styled forms are rather frequent, but I have not seen 
the stort-styled forms outside Prunus Virginiana and P. serotina. 

The gynodicecious form I have never seen, nor any pronounced suggestion of it; 
though the andromoneecious form is very common both in Prunus Americana and P: 
Chicasa. It is only less common among varieties of the Wild Goose group, and may 
be found among the Japanese varieties, or even among the varieties of Prunus 
domestica, Where it is most unusual. The Marianna plum isalso often andromonc- 
cious. A very large proportion of blossoms rated in the succeeding tables as having 
defective pistils, belong to this class. 


PoxLuInATIOoN oF Pious. Bt 


times; in two forms the pistils are either much shorter or much longer 
than the stamens; and in two the flowers are sexually imperfect, one or 
the other of the essential organs being defective. 

Any one of these arrangements in a blossom usually renders it incap- 
able of self-fecundation. It is probable that each of these six forms occa- 
sionally appears in plum blossoms, particularly in varieties of the Ameri- 
cana group; but, aside from the one bearing 
imperfect pistils, I am inclined to believe 
that these diversities have little immediate 
significance. They may be of some slight in- 
terest to theoretical biology in throwing some 
light on questions of evolution, but they are 
so infrequent as to have no perceptible influ- 
ence on the fruit crops. The several special 
modifications would need to be much more 
ee ie uniform in their occurrence than I have found 

PLuM, Prunus Americana, them before they could be considered a safe 

“Es Hie aia toate ae al guide to the affinities of varieties for cross- 
pollination as suggested by Mr. Heideman. The efficacy of these various 
forms in securing cross-pollination is yet awaiting demonstration. In 
the very marked case of proterogyny, illustrated from a photograph in 
Figure 2, the pistils were protruding through the closed petals at least 
five days before the pollen was ready on the same blossoms, and six days 
before pollen was ripe on any other trees in the orchard. The stigmas ap- 
peared to be receptive all the while, yet these trees are bearing a heavy 
load of plums. Moreover, a few of the artificially covered blossoms on 
these trees set fruit, 

Without reference to adaptations for cross- 
pollination, it is to be remarked that the species 
Prunus Americana is exceedingly variable in all 
its characters, especially in its flower parts. A 
form which always bears flowers without petals, 
which was sent from Ottawa, Canada, is shown 
in Figure 3. Mr. Heideman mentions a tree in his 
orchard which uniformly bore flowers with twin 
ovaries, or even with three united ovaries in a 
single blossom; and a case of the same sort has 
come under my own observation in a scion of a 
‘*Minnesota” seedling in the orchard of Mr. L. M. 
Macomber. 

The defectiveness of pistils in many blossoms, = !——___ 
however, seemsto me to be a more serious matter. BLOSSOMS OF cee eae 


" Prunus Americana. LONG=- 
It is of much more frequent occurrence and gsry_tep anp APETALOUS. 


52 Bowwuerin 53. 


appears to represent, in a majority of cases, a diseased or atrophied condi- 
tion of the pistil, rather than a healthy modification of form. Professor 
Goff, who has given this question diligent study, is inclined to attribute 


many cases of defective 

pistils to inclemencies of 

climate, and an examina- 

tion of the abortive organ 

| itself would give rather 
UY C Yd that idea than the notion 


a Een ig oh Ws Fi wee * jg & 7 Ofa definite evolutionary 

FIGURE 4. TYPICAL PLUM PISTILS. @, LOMBARD; 6, GO- modification. However, 
LIATH; C, YELLOW EGG; d, PURPLE DAMSON; é, COE’S 
GOLDEN DROP; /, IMPROVED GREEN GAGE; g, MoorE’s the theory of damage 
ARCTIC; 2, Prunus Americana ; 1, P. Americana, VAR. i 
nigra, j, WYANT ; k, MOREMAN : /, WEAVER. from cold weather is not 
supported by the notes which we have collected, as will appear later. 

With a view to gaining some light on these questions a large number 
of plum blossoms have been examined this spring. While the number of 
blossoms examined from any single sample was too small to warrant any 
dogmatic judgment of the variety represented, the total number of blos- 
soms examined, (about 2,000) and the careful manner in which the work 
was done, under the microscope in the laboratory, will justify us in 
making some generalizations from the whole. The record of these labora- 
tory examinations will be subsequently published in an annual report. 
The term ‘‘ defective pistils” in this bulletin includes all imperfections 
which evidently would make fecundation impossible. In very many cages 
no trace of style or ovary was to be found. In many other blossoms a 
small, rudimentary pistil was present, which had plainly 
ceased to have any vital significance. These several defects 
seem, for the most part, to be only degrees of the same weak- ! ( 
; | 


ness, whether that weakness be sexual invalidity, evolution- 
ary adaptation,the result of severe weather, or something else. 
In the aggregate the defective pistils are numerous enough 
to be taken into serious consideration. 

In the laboratory examinations several samples showed 
100 per cent defective pistils. Obviously no crop can be ex- 
pected from trees which these samples fairly represent. Cases 
in which trees fail to set fruit after being loaded with 
blossoms will be remembered by every horticulturist. Doubt- sane mi _ 
less many such instances of sterility occur through lack of ,/¢hire Prwn- 
pistils. The Marianna is notably ashy bearer. Its record, “ Americana, 
as shown in Table I seems to show a reason. Its evident sexual weakness 
may also be some confirmation of its hybrid origin. 

The differences in the average percentages of defective pistils in the 
several groups can not be regarded as purely accidental. The comparison 
may best be seen in Table I. 


a 


PoLuINATION oF PLuMs. 53 


TABLE I. COMPARISON OF GROUPS 


In the Matter of Defective Pistils. 


Total Per Cent 

GROUP. Samples.| Blossoms. |Defective. 
PrumuseAmericana, Varietles....2. osces-----4--<les4-6 60 550 27.8 
PrunusvAmericana, type, wild. teelheil eae. es.- 22 7 85 40.0 
Incunusramertcaha, Vals DIST... 25 0cet bee 2k ke os 6 53 5.7 
Prunus Americana, conSolidated__.......-- Sips caption oc a 3 688 27.6 
J EVE TIS OTN CEE ene SP a ek ee Oly NL 17 159 15.1 
Prue NOrnlana. VAarlCtles.. +. ssc. ceo 5 occ c toe oee 18 171 24.6 
LAU CRs Iie ee Oe Ae ee eat a ae BS es Oe 4 46 50.0 
Pruuue.domestica, varieties, 22.260 .-5_25..69.-..-.--- 30 292 5.1 
PPP MUse Gr TuOras VATICtIeRs fos as cose seo ee esi coat 9 72 15.9 


From this it appears that about one-half of the pistils of the Marianna 
were defective ; over one-fourth in Prunus Americana, (the common wild 
plum), only a little less in Prunus hortulana, (the Wild Goose group), 
about one-sixth in the Chicasaws and Japanese plums, and only one- 
twentieth in the European varieties (Prunus domestica.) The great dis- 
crepancy between the wild forms of the typical Prunus Americana 
(mostly Western) and the variety nigra, (mostly Eastern) is a point of con- 
siderable interest. Besides furnishing another character in justification of 
a division between the two forms, it gives a valuable hint to those who are 
looking for new garden varieties. It is worth remarking, however, inthis 
connection that the variety nigra does not bear so much pollen as the type 
forms. 

Some of the individual records in the laboratory examinations are 
open to more or less explanation. For example, Mr. Munson writes con- 
cerning a Wild Goose Seedling (Prunus hortulana), which showed 
87.5 per cent. defective pistils: ‘‘ It is only two years old from seed, and is 
fiowering for the first time. It is my experience that, almost invariably, 
varieties when they begin to bloom set little or no fruit. As they get age 
some become very fruitful, while others always fruit scatteringly. The 
youth of this tree, 1 think, fully accounts for the defectiveness of the 
female parts.” It seems impossible, however, with present data, to find 
any constant connection between defectiveness of pistils and conditions 
of soil, cultivation or climate. It should be noted that the same tree 
varies from year to year. The pistils may be all defective one year, and 
all sound the next. 

Different varieties vary greatly in the amount of pollen produced, 
This variation seems also to follow somewhat the specific parentage of the 
varieties. Thus plums of the Americana group are generally more abun- 
dant pollen bearers. The Chicasaw plums are rather weaker pollen 
bearers, though they seldom show serious deficiency. The Japanese 


54 BULLETIN 53. 


plums are still weaker, while the Marianna is distinctly lacking 
in the quantity, and perhaps also in the quality of pollen produced. 


A comparison of the several groups as pollen bearers, is made in Table 
ise 


‘ e 
TABLE II. COMPARISON OF GROUPS 


In the Matter of Pollen Bearing. Figures Indicate the Number of Samples Under 
Each Rating. 


Very 
GROUP. Scant. Medium. | Abundant..| Abundant. 
Prunus Americana, consolidated... q 23 20 1U 
Prunus Chicasa, varieties.........---- 5 6 3 0 
Prunus hortulana, varieties.........-- 2 11 3 2 
Marianna see he bd hte) De ae 3 0 Y) 0 
Prunus domestica, varieties.......--.- 6 ff uf 0 
Prunus triflora, varieties.......----.-- 4 4 0 0 


In connection with any estimates on the point of comparative pollinating 
efficiency several things have to be taken into account. In the first place 
any estimate of the quantity of pollen borne must necessarily be very 
rough. In the second place there may bea difference in the quality of the 
pollen. I have examined some samples in which many imperfect grains 
could be noted with a low power lens. In other samples apparently well 
formed grains would fail to respond to micro-chemical tests for proto- 
plasm (Millon’s reagent), leaving a strong presumption against their ability 
of fecundating the ovules. But above all this, the pistils of many varieties 
appear to have a pronounced selective ability whereby they refuse certain 
pollen while receiving readily pollen from some other source. Our knowl- 
edge is very imperfect on all these points, but we know enough to make us 
very cautious how we dogmatize about this question. Much more careful 
field experimentation is needed along these lines. 

In order to gain some evidence on the point raised by Professor Goff 
and others, that the severe Northern climates are accountable for 
much of the defectiveness of plum pistils, Table III. has been prepared. 

The different locations are arranged in the table, as far as practicable, 
in the order of their geographical latitude. The testimony of the table is 
not very emphatic, itis true, but it does not sustain the conjecture. Aside 
from a uniformly high percentage of defective pistils at Madison, Wiscon- 
sin—Professor Goff’s own location—the percentage rather decreases than 
increases northward. 


PoLuLINATION oF PLus. 55 
TABLE III. COMPARISON OF LOCALITIES. 
Showing Percentage of Defective Pistils. 
Prunus 
Prunus Americana. Chicasa. 
LOCALITY AND DATE ie 
OF FLOWERING. E © 

é ees) 8 

a E 
See ie any ele &| 2a | & 
co Mas UT SMs anaemia etl Urea (oe | 
Denison, Texas, March 24._...-.|_.....|------ (GD eye Balle Pegs ea YB 2 Mae aay Re 25 a : 
Stillwater, Okla., March 31._..- ee ey ret nes Sire, Sater eb ce Ty tee 
Manhattan, Kansas, April13....| 40 |._..-. 0 OF WA AOR 3s Le a 
pe EE GES ag Ee ees Lal es, oe On a a nn | ane ane ips | bare 
Pemerenbo WEN Na Aprile cer | 2 ple lo ye Le ee ee 
etarecollece, rPenn., April 26...) OF Joos. less lio. ele a--||------ Pees eee ie Eras Bical 
Amherst, Mass., May 4..-...---- (Tall ese a Ona esas ae Reece c tal | eae 2 67 
Agricult’al College,Mich.,May 1|...--- Ni ieee cote le a 2k. Ber Uaioe tS Oy i sae seen 
Geneva, New York, April 80___.|_.__-- UA) aah cis el OES i | od Pr De, 
Madison, Wisconsin, May 2...-. OO Pierysi 14) Fe 60 56 29 0 9 | 100 
Minnesota City, Minn., May 1--|..-..- 14 0 28 FW ante talon aS Welgletaee se 
Burlington, Vermont, May 8....| 0O* | 16 |_.....|--.--- 10 0 SOL tse ae 0 
WroveMainoviay 19ys eee sole Hee ts pe A) epee On Ree tes. ras ey egen 17 
Ottawa, Canada, May 10_--_----_. 0 Oy postek < CL) ae reset I cree Tae ee iN (ee 


*Var. nigra. 


The first, and perhaps the chief, practical question to be settled is, 
what varieties, under ordinary circumstances, are fertile with their own 


pollen, and which are self-sterile? 


A large number of blossoms in the 


orchards of Mr L. M. Macomber, North Ferrisburgh, Vt., were covered 


with paper sacks in order to protect them from cross-pollination. 


results from these are shown in Table IV. 


TABLE IV. RECORD OF PROTECTED BLOSSOMS. 


The 


‘| Approximate Crop Set on 
VARIETY. Number of | Fruits Set. | Remainder 
Jovered of Tree 
Blossoms. ; 
{OVENS CRONE OS A PO © ETE De eae RR ec 25 0 Moderate 
PIECES OCU NOME Sie ee re kee. x cmctels Ri 0 Moderate 
mericinalevMinmesota’.o2- oki sete keen 100 0 Moderate 
BRITON eee ge ee oe Sel s Seceins 100 10 Moderate 
“Minn esota’’ Seedling No. 2_.....-. .------- 250 6* Full 
Emimnosota seedling No. 3.... .-.-...-.--- 80 4* Full 
EON E OC8 ETH OY 90 WS le a 200 0 Light 
TERROR aL Se ee i SO ees ee eee eee 60 8 Moderate 
SUES INET OU Eee eet ts ie ant Aico! Sie wears « 200 0 Full 
OLE Renee coum Kem fo hea eY re po tog 200 9 Moderate 
Wolf Seedling No 75 5* Full 
Wolf Seedling No 300 0 Full 
Wolf Seedling No. 125 6* Moderate 
Wreoliipecdling Noy Sik. ei es. FAs oho 100 4% Full 


*Weak. 


Buuyetin 53. 


The range of varieties in this series of experiments is barely large 
enough to be suggestive, although the large number of blossoms covered 
and the relatively small number of fruits set give a satisfactorily clear cut 
indication of a generally prevalent self-sterility. It seems clear that one 
could expect little fruit from De Soto, the ‘‘Original Minnesota,” Pottawat- 
tomie. Rollingstone, and the Wolf Seedling No. 6, unless the trees were 
favorably situated for cross-pollination. It fact Robinson was the only 
variety in the experiment with which the fruit set by self-pollination seemed 
to be normal and vigorous. Our judgments made in the orchard—and such 
judgments may properly go beyond the numbers in the tabulations—were 
that self-fertility was extremely doubtful in all cases except that of Robin- 
son. 

The question which naturally comes next in order, is this : If a certain | 
variety must have foreign pollen in order to set fruit, what other varieties 
are the most efficacious pollen bearers? This is a question requiring very 
many experiments in artificial pollination. Our own work for 1896 has 
been limited to twenty-one experiments among eleven varieties, and con- 
sisted of 319 artificial crosses. The record of these pollinations is seen in 
Table V. 


TABLE V. RECORD OF CROSSES. 


FEMALE PARENT. MALE PARENT. Num- 
ber | Number 
Polli- Set. 
Species. Variety. Species. Variety. nated 

1 P, Americana |‘*Minnesota,” | Cherry, 13 0 

2 ‘S te P. Americana, (nigra, 30 16 

3 * Me ds - 9 |No record. 

4 be te es be 22 ot 

5 ee be oe oe 26 19 

6 ee oe ee 66 20 2 

7 bb eb ee ee 12 9 

8 P. Chicasa, Robinson, ‘® ‘*‘Minnesota,”’ 16 6 

9 + on me Rollingstone, 2 |No record. 
10 hy be Hs Wolf, 14 

11 P.Americana,|De Soto, co a ae 12 |Tree died. 
12 ee ‘ es Marianna, 14 sas 
13 “k ry ye Rollingstone, 14 yy 
14 os wt 6b be if be 

15 ” ‘: - nigra, 6 — 
16 P. Chicasa, Robinson, es = 9 0 
17 P. Americana,| Wolf, P. domestica, |McNiel, 10 
18 2 De Soto. P. Americana, |WolfSdlg. 8 |No record. 
19 es : P. domestica, MeNiel, 5 
20 oe Wolf Seedling||P. Americana, Hawkeye, 9 |No record. 
21 re De Soto, ¥ Wyant, 16 6 


Beyond an indication that the typical Western forms of Prunus 
Americana can be pollinated by the Eastern forms,—var. nigra—these ex- 
periments show nothing. No one who has had experience in hand polli- 
nations will be surprised at the irregularity of results nor at the compar- 
atively small number of fruits set. 


Po.LLINATION oF Pius. 57 


V.. BOTANICAL RELATIONSHIPS OF CULTIVATED PLUMS. 


Within the past few years it has become customary among nursery- 
men and fruit growers to refer all cultivated plums to the botanical species 
from which they are severally supposed to havesprung. This method has 
many obvious advantages. The cultivated varieties. of each group have 
many important characters in common, so that the fruit grower soon finds 
himself able to form a very good and useful estimate of any new variety 
as soon as he knows its botanic origin. However, with the rapid intro- 
duction of new American varieties the botany of cultivated plums has 
become much more complicated. Botanists have found it necessary to 
make new speciesof recently discovered forms, and as varieties of these 
forms have been introduced to cultivation, horticulturists have had to keep 
pace with botanical study in order to maintain an acquaintance with the 
fruits in their gardens. In the foregoing tables the different varieties are 
referred to their botanical parentage as accurately as could be done at this 
time. For the most part the dispositions made of the several varieties are 
those generally accepted. A few are questionable, but it was thought 
better, in cases of doubt, still to place the doubtful variety in the group to 
which it seems to belong, rather than to throw such varieties into a mix- 
ture by themselves. 

When Mr. Andrew J. Downing wrote his Fruit and Fruit Trees of 
North America, he recognized only three species of plums as concerned in 
the parentage of our cultivated varieties, namely, Prunus domestica, the 
European plum; P. Americana, the American red or yellow plum ; and P. 
Chicasa, the Chicasaw plum. Since then the classification has been so 
much complicated, both botanically and horticulturally, that it requires 
some critical attention to understand the subject. Itis thought the more 
wise to take up here the botanical classification of plums because the limits 
of cross pollination and the lines of affinity among varieties may well be 
supposed to follow very closely the true botanical boundries of the parent 
species. The natural relationships of the various groups are shown in the 
following conspectus : 


I. CONSPECTUS OF CULTIVATED AND NATIVE PLUMS. 
FAMILY ROSACEA; Genus PRUNUS. 
FOREIGN SPECIES. 


P. DoMESTICA, L. COMMON EUROPEAN PLUM. Probably originally from Asia. 
Flowers showy. white, more or less fascicled; leaves large, ovate or obovate, usu- 
ally firm and thick in texture, very rugose, uSually pubescent Weneath, coarsely 
serrate; shoots usually downy; fruit very various, of many shapes and flavors, 
but pabedy, globular-pointed or oblong, the stone large and slightly roughened cr 
pitted. 


P. CERASIFERA, Ehrh. MyYROBOLAN or CHERRY PuuM. Differs from tie last 
in a more slender habit, often thorny; flowers mostly smaller; leaves smaller, 
thin, smooth and finely and closely serrate; rruit globular and cherry-like, rang- 
ing from the size of a large cherry to over an inch in diameter, with a depression 
about the stem, in various shades of red or yellow. 


58 Butenn 53. 


P. TRIFLORA, Roxb. JAPANESE PLuM. A -trong growing tree. perhaps native 
to China, numerous varieties of which have recently been disseminated in the 
United States. Flowers usually densely fascicled; leaves and shoots smooth and 
hard, the former obovate or oblong-obovate, prominently pointed and finely and 
evenly serrate; fruit usually conspicuously pointed, red, yellow or purple, with a 
very firm flesh and commonly a small stone. 


) ATIVE SPECIES. 


Trees. 


P. AMERICANA, Marsh. COMMON WILD PLUM. The type distinguished by 
entire calyx lobes, which are pubescent on the inner surface; stone turgid;leaves 
oval or slightly obovate: petioles mostly without glands. Tree spreading, ragged, 
thorny, 8-20 ft. high; flowers large, white, on slender pedicels; leaves very 
coarsely veined, never glossy orshining; fruit more or less flattened upon the 
sides, firm and meaty, the skin tough and glaucous and never glossy, ripenin 
through yellow to red. Occurs wild from N. J.and N. Y. to Mont. and Colo. It 
Se southward, in Texas and New Mexico represented mostly by the variety 
MOLLIS. , 


Var. Mouuis, Torr. & Gray has the leaves and pedicels pubescent, especially 
when young. 


Var. NIGRA. (See p. 60.) CANADA PLUM, RED PLuM, (P. IGRA, Ait. 
P. AMERICANA, T. & G. and 6th ed. Gray’s Manual.) Inits extreme forms easily 
distinguished by the glandular-serrate calyx lobes, glabrous on the inner surface; 
com: ressed stone ; broadly oblong-ovate to obovate leaves with petioles bearing 
two glands. Flowers large, white, with short thick peduncles conspicuously 
marked by the scars left by the falling of the bud scales; pedicels dark red, 
slender, glabrous; calyx tube broadly obconic, dark red on the outer and bright 
red on the inner surface; fruit oblong-oval, orange-red; stone nearly oval, com- 
pressed. Occurs wild from Newf. west to Rainy and Assiniboine Rivers 
in Canada, and commonly in the New England States where it is found along 
roadsides and in waste places. 


P, HORTULANA, Bailey. WILD GoosE PLUM. A strong, wide-spreading, small 
tree, with smooth, straight twigs, and a peach-like habit; flowers rather smail, 
often very short-stalked ; leaves narrow-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, thin and firm, 
flat, more or less peach-like, smooth and usually shining, closely and obtusely 
glandular-serrate ; fruit spherical, bright colored and glossy, lemon yellow or 
brilliant red, the bloom very thin. juicy, with a clinging, turgid and roughish, 
Mine popes stone. Occurs wild in the Mississippi valley in the neighborhood 
of St. Louis. 


Var. MINERI, Bailey. Differing more or less from the species by the dull and 
comparatively thick leaves which are conspicuously veiny below and irregularly 
closely toothed and more or less obovate in outline and by a smoother and more 
Americana-like stone, 


Hyb. MARIA’ NA. This plum is thought to bea hybrid between the Myro- 
bolan and the Wild Goose. (L. H. Bailey, Cornell Exp. Sta. Bull. 38, p. 82.) 
Perhaps one or two other varieties have a similar origin. 


P. CuHrcAsA, Michx. (Properly P. ANGUSTIFOLIA, Marsh.) CHICKASAW 
PuuM. Slender tree, 12-20 ft. high, slender, zigzaged twigs; smaller, lanceolate 
or oblong-lanceo'ate leaves which are very closely and finely serrate, shining and 
trough-like ; fruit small, very early, red or rarely yellow, the skin thin and shin- 
ing and covered with many small, light dots and a very thin bloom; the flesh soft 
and juicy, often stringy, closely clinging to the small, broad, roughish stone. 
Wild from Del. S. and W. to E. Kans. and Tex. 


_ P. ALLEGHANIENSIS, Porter. SutoE. A small, slender tree or shrub, 3-15 ft. 
high; leaves lanceolate or oblong-ovate, often long-acuminate, finely and sharply 
serrate, softly pubescent when young; fruit dark purple, witha bloom. Alle- 
ghany mountains in t enn. 


P. SURCORDATA, Benth. A small tree 20-25 ft. high; leaves broadly ovate or 
orbicular, usually cordate, sharply and often doubly serrate, slightly coriaceous 
dark green on the upper and pale on the lower surface; flowers in 2-4 flowere 
umbels on slender pedicels; calyx lobes oblong-obovate, rounded at the apex, half 
as long as the white petals; fruit oblong, dark red or purple or sometimes ye:low. 
Pacific coast species. 


P. UMBELLATA, Ell. BLACK SLoE; HoG@ PLuM. A small bushy tree; flowers; 
on slender pedicels nearly an inch long, rather large, white; leaves smallish, 
ovate or slightly obovate or sometimes short oblong, thin and dull, closely and 
evenly serrate; fruit about 3,in.in diameter, yellow or reddish; flesh firm and 
austere; stone short and turgid, cherry-like. Sea shore from S.C. to Fla., and 
westward to Miss., La. and Ark. 


PoLuLINATION oF PLums. 59: 


Shrubs. 


P. WATSoONI, Sargent. THESAND PLtuM. A shrub 6-i0 ft. high; leavescvate, 
acute, rounded or wedge shaped at the base, finely crenulate, serrate, lustrous on 
the upper and pale on the lower surface; petioles slender, grooved, bi-glandular 
at the apex; flowersin crowded, few- flowered fascicles; calyx cup-shaped, the 
lobes acute, rounded at the apex, without glands, ciliate on the margins, pubes- 
cent on the inner face; petals inserted remotely on the glandular disk, narrowly 
obovate, rounded and more or less erose above, contracted below into short claws, 
pure white; rruit globose or rarely oblong, orange red. Sandy streams and hills 
S.and S. E. Neb. and Central and Western Kansas. 


P. GRACILIS, Engelm. and Gray. A small shrub, 1-4 ft. high; soft pubescent; 
leaves oblong-lanceolate to ovate, acute, sharply serrate, becoming nearly gla- 
brous above, 1-2in. loi.g; pedicels and calyx pubescent; fr less than % in. in 
diameter; stone rather turgid, sub-orbicular. Prairies and sandy places, 8S. Kans. 
to a and Tenn. 


. MARITRIMA, Wang. BEACH PLUM. Lowstraggling shrub, 1-5 ft. high 
been ovate or oval, finely serrate, softly pubescent underneath; pedicels short 
pubescent; fruit globular, purple or crimson, with a bloom, 4in. in diam.; stone 
very turgid, acute on one edge, Sea beaches, N. Bruns. to Va. Some distance 
from the coast has leaves smoother and thinner, and fruit smaller. 


2. REMARKS UPON BOTANICAL GROUPS. 


EUROPEAN, OR DOMESTICA GROUP. The cultivated varieties of the 
European plum bear the best and most salable fruit. They are generally 
hardy in most sections of Vermont, though most of the 1896 crop was 
killed by thesevere winter weather. The pistils in varieties of this species. 
areuniformly larger and stronger than in other species and are practically 
never defective. These varieties are usually deficient pollen bearers; but 
their need of cross-pollination has not yet been clearly shown, nor their 
best pollenizers pointed out. Pistils and anthers appear to mature at the 
same time, and heterostyled or bisexual forms are seldom or never found. 


MYROBOLAN. This plum has been extensively used as a stock, but has 
been rapidly losing favor, the Marianna or seedlings of Prunus Americana 
being generally substituted. 


THE JAPANESE PLUMS have not yet been long enough known in the 
United States to have found their final position in our estimation. They 
are an important and desirable acquisition. Several varieties have been 
planted in Vermont, and for the most part are sufficiently hardy to justify 
their planting. Abundance usually fruits here, bearing heavy crops. All 
blossoms of Japanese varieties, however, were killed by cold weather dur- 
ing the winter of 1895-6. They seem to be considerably weaker in their 
pistils than varieties of the domestica group, but this does not interfere 
with their fruitfulness. 


AMERICANA GROUP. The plums of the Americana group resist cold 
much better than any others. They are the hardiest we have. Americana 
varieties now hang loaded with fruit beside the Japanese, domestica and 
Chicasaw varieties, which are entirely bare. They are to be especially 
recommended for planting in cold and exposed localities where the domes- 
tica varieties are uncertain. In general thefruit is inferior to that of the 
domestica varieties, although many of the best sorts are very acceptable 


60 Butuetin 53. 


on the table and quite salable in the market. Americana seedlings seem to 
make good stocks for working varieties of the domestica and other groups. 
Wild and cultivated forms of this group are peculiarly delicate in sexual 
organization, to an extent which sometimes interferes materially with 
the crop. Most varieties probably require cross-pollination. The blossoms 
themselves make provision for this by numerous contrivances, the most 
efficient of which are proterogyny, (see fig. 2.) the suppression of pistils, 
and the selective power of the pistils in receiving pollen. 

The variety mollis of Prunus Americana is represented in cultivation 
by several horticultural forms; although the origin of the horticultural 
forms from the botanical variety does not seem to be necessary, but rather 
doubtful in some cases. The leaves and pedicels, especially in cultivated 
varieties, are found to be pubescent in all degrees, and it is quite possible 
for a distinctive degree of pubescence to appear as a garden character, al- 
though the variety might be genetically referable to the smooth type. 
Several varieties not usually put in this section of the Americana group are 
quite pubescent enough to be so classified. The southern distribution of this 
botanical variety might raise a question as to whether or not it is as hardy 
as the type when planted northward. 


The variety nigra of Prunus Americana is here proposed in place of 
Aiton’s Prunus nigra, and in order to satisfy the necessities of horticultur- 
al and botanical intercourse. Gray’s Manual of Botany combines all these 
very diverse forms under one name. Professor Bailey’s recent revision of 
Field, Forest and Garden Botany does the same, and in his paper on The 
‘Cultivated Native Plums and Cherries* Professor Bailey says, speaking of 
the characters used to distinguish Prunus nigra from P. Americana: ‘‘I 
am unable to find any constancy in these characters. * * * Iam 
obliged, therefore, * * * to unite Prunus nigra with P. Americana. 
This I regret the more, because it is undoubtedly true that there are two 
well marked wild varieties—possibly species—passing as P. Americana,” 
It is evident that we must have some way of conveniently designating 
such an important difference, and the application of the name Prunus 
Americana, var. nigra, seems to me to dispose of the casein best accord 
with the natural relationships on the one hand and with our acquired habits 
of nomenclature on the other. 

The variety nigra is even more hardy than the species, ranging much 
further northward; its pistils are much stronger and more regular in their 
development; it bears pollen somewhat less abundantly. and whereas the 
species has a tendency to be proterogynous (see note p. 50) Professor Sar- — 
gent characterizes the variety (which he calls P. nigra) as proteranderous. + 


*Cornell Exp. Sta. Bull. 38. p. 6, 
+C. S. Sargent, Sylva N. A. IV. p. 15. 


FIGURE 6. FLOWERING BRANCH OF EASTERN WILD PLUM, Prunus Americana, 
MARSHALL, VAR. vigra, F. A. WAUGH. 


PoLLINATION oF PLuMs. 61 


This point was not satisfactorily verified in our own examinations this 
spring. This is the common wild plum of Vermont and neighboring 
States. 


WILD GOOsE GRouP. The plums of the Wild Goose group do not 
seem to have been generally tried in Vermont. They are usually quite as 
hardy as the Japanese varieties, and are well worth a trial. The Wild 
Goose and its most closely related varieties, are commonly said to need 
cross-pollination, and to be themselves weak pollen bearers. Weaver and 
other Americana varieties have usually been recommended as pollinizers, 
but it would be worth while to determine whether or not certain other 
varieties of Prunus hortulana which bear abundant pollen, are not better 
for this purpose. et ote 


THE MARIANNA PLUM is sexually weak to a marked degree. It is always 
regarded as an uncertain bearer, and large crops from it are quite excep- 
tional. Its affinities in pollination are extremely problematical. At the 
present time it is most useful as astock. It grows readily and vigorously 
_ from cuttings set in the open ground; it buds or grafts easily; the unions 
form readily and are apparently lasting. Toa great extent it has super- 
ceded the Myrobolan as a stock. Although of Texas origin it seems to be 
perfectly hardy in this State. 


CHICASAW—The name Prunus Chicasa is retained in place of 
P. angustifolia, which is technically the correct one for the Chica- 
saw plum, on account of its familiarity to horticulturists and bot- 
anists, and because it is used in Gray’s Manual and in Field, Forest and 
Garden Botany. These plums form an attractive group, some of the vari- 
eties being very prolific and excellent for the table. Although some varieties. 
are sufficiently hardy to make them desirable in Vermont plantings, they 
are, as a group, better adapted to warmer localities. They do not show, 
so far as our own study has gone, any special adaptations for cross pol- 
lination. 


Prunus Alleghaniensis has not been introduced to cultivation, and is. 
quite restricted in its range. P. subcordata is not known east of the Cas- 
cade Mountains. ‘‘In Oregon and Northern California the fruit is collected 
and consumed in large quantities, both fresh and dried, and is used for 
preserves and jellies.”* It is also used as a stock for European plums. 
P. umbellata locally known as the hog plum, is known only wild. ‘‘The 
fruit is gathered in large quantities and is used in making jellies and 
jams.”’+ 


THE DWARF SAND PLvuM, until recently, has been put into the Chicasaw 
group, which it most nearly resembles. It is, however, quite distinct ; and. 


*C, S Sargent, Sylva N. A. IV. p. 32. 
tIbid, page 34. 


62 Butvetin 53. 


in 1894 Professor Sargent set these peculiar forms off from P. Chicasa with 
the name Prunus Watsoni.* The points of distinction are given in the 
description, page 59. The wild bushes of this species bear abundant crops 
of superior fruit. The plums are eagerly gathered and used in preserves or 
jellies. Some few varieties have been propagated and introduced, as the 
Bluemont,} by Prof. E. Gale of Manhattan, Kansas, but they have thus far 
received only local notice. This species, as it grows wild along the Repub- 
lican and Arkansas rivers in Kansas, is attractive in so many particulars 
that it would seem very strange did it not eventually achieve some horti- 
cultural distinction. Some experiments have been made with these plums 
as dwarf stocks, but no definite results have been reported. 

Prunus gracilis bears fruit rather sparsely and of small size and com- 
paratively inferior quality. However, it is sometimes gathered, as I have 
known it to be in Oklahoma, and made up into jellies. 

THE BEACH PLUM, Prunus maritima, is cultivated both as an orna- 

_mental plant and for its fruit. In the former capacity it is quite desirable; 
in the latter it is of little importance. 

THREE OTHER SPECIES of plums, namely, Prunus rivularis, Scheele, 
P. glandulosa. Torr. & Gray,and P. minutiflora, Englm, are listed by 
Coultert as appearing wild in the United States ; but although the fruit of 
the first is said to be excellent, they are practically unknown to us. 

With this wonderful array of native plums before us, many of which, 
though bearing excellent fruit in nature, have never been tried in cultiva- 
tion, we may well believe that we have seen hardly the beginning of the 
cultivated plums in America. 


VI. QUOTED OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS. 


Taomas M&EHAN.—‘‘Many trees vary in the relative strength and vigor 
of the sexual organs, and thus the fertility is affected. This has been 
esp2cially noted in Am2rican species as compared with European allies. 
In the Amsrican species of plum some individuals are not unfrequently 
sterile. In the temperate parts of Europe dimorphism is measurably con- 
stant in its conditions. This is not the case in America. A plant prote- 
randrous one season miy be proterogynous another. This is the case with 
all our fruit trees, and especially those which have separate male catkins. 
In this section proterandry is very common in cases where the plants 
would in other situations be regarded as inclined to proterogyny. * * * 
It has been clearly demonstrated that some strawberries, infertile by them- 


*O, S. Sargent, Garden and Forest, 1894, p. 194. 

+Private letter from Geo. C. Brackett, Sec’y Am. Pom. Soc. 

tJohn M. Coulter, Manual of the Phanerogams and Pteridophytes of Western 
Texas, pp. 102-103. 


POLLINATION OF PLuMs. 63 


selves, are rendered fruitful by neighborship with individuals having 
abundant pollen, and I take it this must be true of all plants and trees.”— 
Private Letter. 


O. M. Lorp.—“‘I have tried to keep a record for several years of the 
percentage of blossoms without pistils on different varieties, to see if we 
could establish sufficient data to prove the trees dicecious, and I am in- 
_Clined to believe they are somewhat so, functionally, if not botanically. I 
can show groups on my own grounds standing within a few feet of each 
other, where one has missed fruiting but once in twenty-five years, and 
the other has not borne a plum, the blossoms being without pistils.”— 
Private Letter. 


J. W. Kerr.—‘‘I have had extended opportunities to note effects of 
mixed planting. With varieties of native species here, I have found none 
yet that are reliably self-fertile. In mixed planting varieties of nearest 
allied species blooming at the same time completely overcome the peculiar 
individualisms. Scores of cases have come under my observation where 
isolated varieties of natives were almost wholly unproductive. In several 
such instances, upon my recommendation, either a few graftsof other 
varieties were set into bearing trees, or other varieties were planted 
amongst them, completely revolutionizing matters. * * * * The 
absence of pistils in plum flowers is confined to certain varieties with me 
here, and mostly—almost wholly—to the Americanas, though in rare 
instances I have found “‘blanks” in Wild Goose. I have a hybrid between 
Wild Goose and Troth’s Early Peach, the blossoms of which never bear 
pistils.”—Private Correspondence. 


L. H. BatLey.—The chief difficulty in the growing of native plums, is 
the fact that some varieties do not fertilize themselves. This peculiarity 
appears to be due, not to any imperfection in the flowers, but to the com- 
parative impotency of pollen upon flowers of the same variety. The im- 
potency of pollen appears to be characteristic of certain varieties, as, for 
example, Wild Goose, Miner, Wazata, Minnetonka, Itasca. Other varie- 
ties of the same species are fertile with themselves, as Moreman, Newman, 
Mayland, Golden Beauty, Marianna, Deep Creek, Purple Yosemite. In 
order to insure fertilization, mixed planting is practiced, when the impo- 
tent varieties are grown; and it is an important study to determine what 
varieties are the best pollenizers for a given kind.—Cornell Exp. Sta. 
Bull. 38. 


C. W. H. Hetpeman.—I know of no group of plants more favorable 
than the genus Prunus for the study of the order of evolution from the 
hermaphrodite stage to the higher stage of bi-sexuality. Their organs of 
reproduction present a number of peculiarities of morphology and func- 
tion unusually interesting and significant.”—Minn. Hort. Soc. Rept. 1894. 


64 Bo .yetin 53. 


E. S. Gorr.—‘‘ Our observations indicate that the failure of plum blos- 
soms to set fruit in our native plums is probably due to more than one 
cause, and while they do not show that the failure is never due to a lack of 
pollen, it seems probable that it more often results from a deticiency of 
pistils or from cold weather during the period of fertilization.” Wis. Hap. 
Sta. Rpt. 1894. p. 350. 


VII.— QUERIES. 


1. What causes influence from year to year the proportion of defect- 
ive plum pistils in certain trees and varieties? 

2. Does the number of defective pistils materially influence the 
amount of the crop, except in cases of total defectiveness ? 

3. What varieties are self-fertile, and what ones require cross-pollin- 
ation ? 

4, What varieties have particular affinities and predelictions in pol- 
_ lination? and what are these affinities? 
5. Does pollination take place more readily among varieties of the 


same botanical species? 

6. Does the character of the pollen affect the character of the fruit? 

7%. How long do the stigmas of the several varieties remain receptive? 
and how long does the pollen retain its vitality ? ‘ 

8. Will the continued intercrossing and hybridizing of sorts in the 
orchard tend to produce varieties characterized by increasing sexual 
weakness ? 


Acknowledgments are due to the following persons who kindly furnished 
material for study: 

Prof. R. H. Price, College Station, Tex. 

Mr. T. V. Munson, Denison, Tex. 

Mr. A. W. Adamg, Stillwater, Okla. 

Mr. F. C. Sears, Manhattan, Kan. 

Mr. C. H. Thompson, St. Louis, Mo. 

Prof. L. C. Corbett, Morgantown, W. Va. 

Prof. Geo. C. Butz, State College, Penn. 

Prof. 8. T. Maynard, Amherst, Mass. 

Mr. A. A. Crozier, Agricultural College, Mich. 

Prof. E. S. Goff, Madison, Wis. 

. O. M. Lord, Minnesota City, Minn. 

Mr. 8S. A. Beach, Geneva, N, Y. 

. H. P. Gould, Orono, Me. 

Mr. J. C. Fletcher, Ottawa, Canada. 

Mr. John Craig, Ottawa, Canada. 

Thanks are also due to Prof. L. H. Bailey, Mr. J. W. Kerr, Mr. Geo. C. Brackett 
and Mr. Thomas Meehan for much kindly assistance in collecting information; and 
especially to Mr. L. M. Macomber of North Ferrisburgh, Vt., whose plum orchard 
was placed at our disposal for experimental work. 


UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 


AND STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 


VERMONT AGRIGULTURAL 


EXPERIMENT STATION 


BURLINGTON, VT. 


BULLETIN No. 67 


DECEMBER, 1898 


HYBRID PLUMS 


ie SUMMARY.—Page 3 
II. Hyprip PLums.—Pages 4-23. 
Introductory note 
1. Descriptive and Historical Notes.—Pages 5-22 
2. On Certain Groups of Hybrids.—Pages 22-23 
Ill. HyBRIDITY AMONG PLUMS.—Pages 24-30 
1. Trustworthy Evidences of Hybridity—Page 24 
2. Classification as Affected by Hybridity.— Pages 24-26 
3. Extent and Limits of Hybridity in Plums.—Pages 26-28 
4. Utility of the Several Species in Hybridizing.—Pages 28-29 
5. Plum-Growing as Affected by the Hybrids.—Page 30 


. 


MONTPELIER : 
VERMONT WATCHMAN COMPANY, 
PRINTERS. 


THE VERMONT 


Agricultural Experiment Station, 


BURLINGTON, VT. 


BOARD OF CONTROL 


Pres. M. H. BUCKHAM, e2-officzo, Burlington. 
Hon. E. J. ORMSBEE, Brandon. 

Hon. CASSIUS PECK, Burlington. 

Hon. G.S. FASSETT, Enosburg. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION 


J. L. HILLS, Director and.Chemist. 
G. H. PERKINS, Entomologist. 

L. R. JONES, Botanist. 

F. A. WAUGH, Horticulturist. 

F. A. RICH, Veterinarian. 
CASSIUS PECK, Farm Superintendent. 
B. O. WHITE, Assistant Chemist. 
C. H. JONES, Assistant Chemist. 
W. A. ORTON, Assistant Botanist. 
W. C. NORCROSS, Dairyman. 
MARY A. BENSON, Stenographer. 
E. H. POWELL, Treasurer. 


BULLETIN No. 67.—HYBRID PLUMS. 


By F. A. WauGH. 


I. SUMMARY. 


II. 1. Descriptive and historical notes are given of fifty varieties 
of plums which have been supposed to be of hybrid origin. A few of 
these are doubtless not hybrids, though the large majority probably 
are. Pages 5-22. 

2. There are also certain large groups of plums growing wild 
in North America which seem to be of hybrid origin, the most import- 
ant being the Wildgoose, Wayland and Miner groups. Even under 
cultivation hybrids seem to occur in groups. Pages 22-23. 

III. 1. Among cultivated plums intermediateness of character is 
the best test of hybridity. While the pedigree record is not to be 
ignored, it is seldom reliable, and must always depend upon the test 
of intermediateness for its verification. The test of distribution can 
not be applied. Page 24. . 

2. Ahybrid plum is to be classified by referring it to the 
several species whose characters it bears, rather than by reference to 
its pedigree. Pages 24-26. 

3. Hybridity seems to be quite common among plums. All 
species may be intercrossed. The Japanese plums cross with the 
Chicasaws and the Hortulanas with especialease. The Domesticas and 
Americanas cross with other groups with greater difficulty. Plums 
also cross with various cherries, peaches and apricots. Pages 26-28. 

4, Each species has its peculiar value in plum breeding, and 
certain combinations are more promising than others. Pages 28-29. 

5, The hybrid plums are likely to be eventually of great 
importance in fruit growing. Their introduction promises to mark 
an epoch in plum culture. Many of the varieties already produced 
are very promising, but none has yet been tested widely enough to 
warrant its general recommendation. Page 30. 


4 BULLETIN 66. 


I VAY BRID PLUMS. 


A new factor has appeared in the study of plums. It is the production of 
hybrid varieties. This new factor is of immediate interest to the science of 
horticulture, and promises to be of very great consequence to the practical 
business of plum growing. 


The number of hybrid varieties already brought to light is not large, and 
yet the array is quite respectable and altogether fit to arouse the liveliest 
imagination of the horticulturist. It seems especially proper and important 
that these first hybrids should be carefully put on record, since they mark the 
beginning of what will doubtless be a far-reaching change. It is also in the 
highest degree desirable that we should understand as well and as soon as’ 
possible the general limits, tendencies and effects of hybridity among plums, 


These considerations have seemed to justify a more detailed study of vari- 
eties and variety characters than the practical value of most of the new plums 
here mentioned would merit alone. We have collected the best information 
obtainable regarding every hybrid variety of which we could learn, and 
though the majority of them perhaps, will never prove to be of practical value, 
they all help us to arrive at better generalizations. If, on the other hand, 
many varieties are given with very incomplete descriptions, their introduction 
here is justified on the same grounds. This is a record of beginnings, and 
beginnings are always fragmentary. 

Without further preamble, then, we will proceed to study those varieties of 
more or less authentically hybrid origin which have come within reach.f 


*The term hybrid is used here inits usual horticultural meaning, that is to designate a 
cross between two species. The writer very much regrets the attempt in certain quarters 
to give this word a different definition. The plea that one sometimes can not tell which 
are species and which are not, though true, (and notably so in plums), is no justification 
for abandoning the old-time definition of hybrid given above, The term hybrid is just as 
accurate as the term species, and we certainly are not yet ready to abandon species, 


tAs this is only the beginning of the history of hybrid plums, and as we would like to 
follow the subject further, the help of all horticulturists is solicited. Information of any 
sort relating to any variety or varieties of supposed hybrid plums would be gladly wel- 
comed, Original descriptions of new varieties in catalogues, periodicals or any other publi- 
cations are especially desired. Samples of leaves, twigs, or fruit will always be of service. 
Address EXPERIMENT STATION, BURLINGTON, VT. 


Hyerip PLUMS. 5 


1. DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL NOTES. 


A-248, Burbank, New Creations, 1893, p. 22. 


Robinson X Botan; that is Prunus angustifolia X P. triflora. 
Announced by Luther Burbank in 1893, but never sent out. Mr. Burbank 
informs me that he has destroy- 
ed it as he has now so many 
better varieties. 


ALHAMBRA, 
Burbank, unpublished. 


Probably Satsuma X Agen 
(Petite ‘diAgen) lor! Fire m ai 
Prune;) that is Prunus triflora 
X P. domestica. 


Fruit egg-shaped, large or 
very large, cavity medium shal- 
low, abruptly rounded, suture 
shallow, apex pointed, color dark 
dull red, dots many small yellow- 

1. AMERICA. ish, bloom thin purplish, skin 

firm, flesh yellow inside, reddish 

outside, stone medium to large, flat, pointed, nearly smooth, cling, flavor 
brisk sub-acid, quality first-rate. 


ALLFRUIT, Burbank, unpublished. 
Prunus stmoni X FP. triflora (Burbank). 


Fruit oblate, medium large, cavity deep, rounded, stem short, suture rather 
shallow, color pale red with many large and small yellowish dots and a thin 
white bloom, skin medium thick, flesh medium firm, bright yellow, stone 
medium to large, slightly flattened, semi-cling, flavor sweet and rich, fragrant, 
quality good to best. Leaf large, oval, pointed, rather finely double crenulate, 
and minutely glandular, rather thick, glistens as if varnished, petiole short, 
glandular. 


AMERICA, Burbank, New Creations, 1898, p. 3. 
Botan X Robinson, Robinson seed; i. e., P. trzflora X P. angustifolia. 
Fruit nearly spherical, or a trifle elongated, medium to large, specimens 


measuring 42 mm in both longitudinal and transverse diameters, cavity 
medium depth, abrupt, stem short, suture faint, color bright golden yellow 


NOTE,—The illustrations of fruits are all exact size, but it must be remembered that 
pictures always look smaller than the objects, Illustrations of leaves are approximately 
half size, The leaf margins shown in figures 15 and 16 are somewhat magnified, 


6 BULLETIN 67. 


with pink blush, dots many white small indistinct, bloom thin white, skin 
thin somewhat astringent, flesh yellow medium firm, stone large oval slightly 
flattened cling, flavor not very striking, quality medium to good. This plum 
is beautiful, but not of high quality. (See Fig. i.) | 


akc 
ore 
> 
Wives. 
W995 


x 
\ 


AN 


1 
\ 
\\ 


ao 
WS 
\\ 


‘ RAN \ 0 
wa 
SNe 

\ 


\ 
\ 


ay/, ae i ) 

“ZA A 

a ec Z M 

—- NG 
Z y 
, Pe a 
gh vee }, 
Foe cA 


2. APPLE. 


APPLE, Burbank, New Creations, 1898, Pp. 2. 


A hybrid seedling of the second generation. ‘‘No doubt Satsuma and 
probably Robinson are in its line of ancestry.” This would mean P?. ¢riflora 
X P. angustifolia. 

Fruit spherical to oblate, large, cavity medium deep gently rounded, stem 
short, suture faint, color deep reddish purple. Foliage large and _ thrifty, 
leaves 43 inches long, rather narrow oval, tapering below and somewhat 
abruptly pointed above, margin finely glandular crenulate. (See Figs. 2 & 3.) 


HYBRID PLUMS. 7 


BARTLETT, Burbank in Van Deman, Rural New Vorker 57, p. 653, 
September 24, 1898. , 


Delaware crossed with Simon; that is Pruzus triflora X P. stmonz. 


Fruit ovoid,’size medium, cavity deep rounded, stem medium length, 
rather slender, suture evident, apex pointed, color dark red, dots many yel- 
lowish, bloom white, skin thin, flesh soft and yellow, stone large. The flavor 
is said to be very fine, closely resembling that of a Bartlett pear, whence the 
name. Mr. Burbank says “the tree grows perfectly upright, likea Lombardy 
poplar, with very glossy leaves, very productive.” 


BESTOVALL, 7. V. Munson, unpublished. 


Described as a hybrid of Miner pollinated with Abundance, which would be 
P. hortulana* X P. triflora. 1 have seen only the foliage which is much 
like Miner, showing no Triflora characters. 

Leaves large, coarse, rough, 
with a tendency toward a faint 
pubescence on the veins under- 
neath, broadly oval, blunt point- 
ed, base strongly rounded, 
margins coarsely double serrate, 
glandless, petioles strong, with 
one or two small glands. Mr. 
Munson describes the fruit as 
“very late, fair size, firm meaty 
fine, sure and prolific.” 


BLACKMAN, Van Deman, Rft. 
U.S. D. A. 1886, p. 261. 


Thought to be a peach-plum 0. APPLE. 
hybrid. The evidence of hybrid- 
jty lies in the sterility of this variety and in its somewhat intermediate char-. 
acters. This is further strengthened by comparison with Mule of J. W.. 
Kerr, which see, page 17. 

The variety is of no interest except as a curiosity. A full account of it may 
be found in U. S. D. A. Rpt. 1886, p. 261; also in same reports, 1887, p. 636; 
also in Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 38, (1892) p. 40. 


BRECK, /. 7. Ramsey, unpublished. 


Thought to be a hybrid of Japanese stock with American, perhaps of 
Kelsey pollinated with Wildgoose. From an examination of the leaves only 
I hesitate to form an opinion as to its parentage. 


*For convenience of discussion the name Prunus hortulana is retained here, though it. 
is understood not to represent an independent species. See page 22, 


3 BULLETIN 67. 


The leaves are medium large, rather broadly oval, blunt pointed, abruptly 
tapering below, margins finely crenulate with many conspicuous small glands, 
(see page 20), petiole short, usually glandless. 

Mr. Ramsey writes that Breck originated in the orchard of Joseph Breck, 
of Texas. This variety will probably be introduced during 1899. 


Bursoto, 7heo. Williams, unpublished. 


Said to be a hybrid of Burbank with DeSoto, which would be Prunus tre- 
flora X P. americana. The tree and foliage are so strongly Americana in 
character that the variety may best be classed there unless the fruit, which I 
have not seen, shows distinct Japanese characters. 

Leaves very Americana-like in character, though rather thin and soft, large, 
round oval, pointed above and rounded below, glabrous above, rather rough- 
ly tomentous over the entire lower surface, margin coarsely deeply irregu- 
larly doubly-jagged toothed, petiole strong, with one or two glands. 


CEL, Burbank, unpublished. 


Said by Mr. Burbank to be Myrobalan X Wickson; “a tri-specific hybrid.” 
The fruit strongly suggests Prunus americana parentage, which would make 
the pedigree of this variety as follows: P. ceraszfera X P. triflora X P. 
americana. Or if we take the view of Wickson suggested on page 21, the 
parentage of Cel would be 
P. cerasifera X P. triflora 
X P. simoni. 

Fruit egg-shaped, medi- 
um size, rounded cavity, 
stem medium long and 
strong, suture indistinct, 
apex pointed, color bright 
transparent yellow, stone 
medium large, cling, flavor 
very Americana-like with- 
out astringency, quality 
good. Leaf quite Ceras- 
pet ifera-like, somewhat cord- 
A. CHALCO. ate, rather sharply though 
finely double serrate. 


CHatco, Burbank, New Creations, 1898, p. 4. 
Simon X Burbank; z. e. Prunus simont X P. triflora. 

Fruit strongly oblate, much the shape and color of a tomato, large, 45 mm 
deep and 58 mm broad, cavity medium deep, gently rounded, stem short, 
suture medium deep, surface smooth, color dark red solid, dots many small 
indistinct, skin medium thick, flesh yellow firm and meaty, stone small oval 


Hyprip Pius. ; 9 


only slightly flattened, nearly free, flavor sweet and sugary, quality extra, 
none of the peculiar Simon plum flavor. 


CHICRIGLAND, 7. V. Munson, unpublished. 


Described as a secondary hybrid, combining three species, viz.: Prunus 
chicasa X P. rivularis X P. glandulosa.* 


Fruit described by Mr. Munson as the size of Golden Beauty, fuzzy, rich 
orange red, stone rounded appearing wooly after removal of the flesh, flavor 
entirely distinctand agreeable. The tree is said to bea strong grower, with 
zigzag weeping branches. Leaves rather small, elliptical pointed, rounded 
or abruptly tapering below, rather thick, rough and harsh, margin finely 
glandular crenulate, petioles short and minutely glandular. 

Originated with T.V. Munson, Texas, from seed of a plum grown by 
F. M. Ramsay, Lampasas County, Texas. 


Ciimax, Burbank, unpublished. 


Royal, Van Deman, Rural New Vorker, 57, (1898) . 653. Mot Downing and 
others. 
Botan pollinated with Simon. Prunus triflora X P. simont. 

Fruit strongly heart- 
shaped, very large, as 
large as an ordinary 
peach, cavity deep and 
abrupt, stem short and 
strong, suture plainly 
marked but not deep, 
apex rounded, color 
deep dark red, many 
yellow dots large and 
small, skin thick firm, 
flesh yellow firm, stone 
large somewhat turgid. 
roughened, free, flavor 
sweet rich fruity, qual- 
ity fine. Season earli- 

. 5, CLIMAX. est. This is justly re- 

garded by Mr. Burbank 

as being one of his most valuable productions. If, upon extended test, it 

proves hardy, fruitful, and otherwise reliable, it will be anadvance, in many 
respects, upon any plum now known. 


*This so-called Prunus rivudaris undoubtedly represents the Wayland group of native 
plums, formerly classed with P. ortudana. For a full discussion of the botanical technical- 
ities involved see F. A. Waugh, Notes on Sundry American Plums, Bot, Gaz. 26, (1898) 
p. 48. P. chicasa is a synonym of P. angustifolia, 


10 BULLETIN 67. 


CoLeus, /. S. Breece, unpublished. 


Thought to be Kelsey X Pissard. Prunus triflora X P. cerastfera. If one 
may judge from the leaves alone this is a very well blended hybrid. 

Leaves medium to large, ovate, tapering at both ends about equally, deep 
rich red, glabrous above, a little fine pubescence along the midrib underneath, 
margin medium coarsely double serrate, petiole strong, with small glands. 


Compass CHERRY, 17. Knudson, Minn. Horticulturist, April, 1896, p. 132. 


From Sand cherry pollinated by Miner plum. Prunus besseyt X P. hortu- 
lana. Undoubtedly a true hybrid. 


This cherry-plum, which I have seen only as hebarium specimens, is said 
to have a vigorous, upright-growing tree, the foliage is large, ovate, rather 
coarse, sometimes somewhat like the sand cherry but much coarser, fruit 
spherical or a little ellipsoid, about an inch in diameter, dark-red, of good 
quality. Is thought by some to be a valuable fruit, but has not been much 
planted. 

Originated by H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn., in 1894, and introduced 
by C. W. Sampson, Eureka, Minn., in the fall of 1897. 


6. EXCELSIOR. 


DANIEL WEEPING, J. ZL. Vormand. 


This tree which I have seen growing in the Cornell University orchards 
has the aspect of a hybrid, though no record of its origin is accessible, 
The tree is bushy spreading and drooping; leaves thick and tough, ovate, 
acute pointed, rounded at the base, finely and smoothly crenulate, petioles 
short and strong with 2-4 glands, stipules often present with younger 
leaves. 
Originated with Dr. Daniel, Louisiana, 


HYBRID PLUMS. 11 


EXcELsior, G. LZ. Taber, Cat. 1897. 


From seed of Kelsey pollinated by Wildgoose or DeCaradeuc, probably 
the former. This would be P. ¢riflora X P. hortulana. This variety 
is conspicuously a hybrid. Its characters suggest Wildgoose, though a 
comparison of the blossoming seasons of Kelsey, Wildgoose and DeCaradeuc 
in Florida would make it seem very likely that the pollen-bearing parent was 
DeCaradeuc. 


Ip 

Fruit medium or large, flattened or a trifle pointed YA. 
like Abundance, no suture, color deep solid wine-red /| Ks 
with very minute almost invisible white dots and heavy JNK 
light-bluish bloom, stem short, skin firm and without / BS \ 


/ We 


astringency, flesh firm yellowish, with reddish color toward 
the pit, stone flattened medium size cling, quality fine. 
Season June 15 in Florida, July 20 in Maryland. 

Tree vase form with long slender branches; leaves 
‘rather large moderately narrow oval, tapering above, taper- 
ing or somewhat rounded at the base, glabrous, margin 
finely irregular crenulate with prominent but minute 
glands, petiole rather short with 1-3 small glands; flowers 
small, scattered, white. 

Originated by» Geo. L. Taber, Glen St. Mary, Fla.,, 
in 1887. A very promising plum. 7. EXCELSIOR. 


FOREWATTAMIE, Theo. Williams, unpublished. 


A hybrid between Forest Garden and Pottawattamie, which is Prunus 
americana X P. angustifolia. The foliage and young growth give strong ev- 
idence of an unusually equal blending of the two species. I have not seen 
the fruit. 

Leaves oval tapering at the point and rounded at the base, thin, irregu- 
larly double serrate with blunt teeth and inconspicuous glands, slightly 
tomentous on the veins along the back, petiole rather long and slender, 
usually with 2-3 small glands. In general the foliage has a softened Miner- 
like look. 

Originated with Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb. 


GARNET, ./. S. Breece in S. LB. Heiges, Rpt. Pomologist, 
U.S. D. A. 1898, p. 45. 


Kelsey X Pissard? Kelsey seed. This would be P. ¢riflora X P. cerasifera. 
The account of its origin given by Heiges (loc. cit.) is as follows: “Came 
up in spring of 1891 under a Kelsey tree. . . . Its characteristics indi- 


cate that it is a chance cross between Pissard that grew near, and the Kel- 
sey under which it grew.” This evidence does not seem to have much value of 


12 HYBRID PLUMS. 


itself.* I have specimens of the foliage, but not having seen the tree and 
fruit i must, for the present, consider this variety subject to removal from 
the list of hybrids. 

Heiges gives the following description of the fruit: ‘ Roundish oval 
large smooth dark garnet red, dots minute russet, bluish bloom, cavity 
small regular, of medium depth, flaring, marked with blue bloom, stem short, 
of medium caliper, suture very shallow and almost obscure, skin thin moder- 
ately tenacious bitter, stone medium size oval cling, flesh yellowish trans- 
lucent, stained with red on one side, mild almost sweet, good. Season June 
25 to 30,” [in North Carolina]. Leaves sent me by W. A. Taylor from the 
United States Department of Agriculture are round oval quite broad, ab- 
ruptly tapering above,tapering or rounded below, roughly double serrate 
slightly glandular margins, glabrous above, slightly tomentous on the mid- 
nerve underneath, petiole Snare and stout, with inconspicuous cane or 
glandless, large feathery deciduous stipules. 


St GOLDEN: 


GOLDEN, Burbank, New Creations 1893, p. 17 
Gold of Stark Bros. Cat. 1896. 


Robinson X Botan, Robinson seed. z. ¢., Prunus angustifolia X P. triflora. 

Fruit round or oblate, medium to large, cavity medium deep rounded, 
stem short, no suture, color bright golden yellow overlaid when fully ripe 
with a fine pink blush, very pretty, dots many yellow very dim, bloom thin 
white, skin thin but strong, flesh rather soft and watery, yellow, stone medium 
or small oval but little flattened, strongly keeled, cling, flavor sprightly, quality 


*Several cases have come to light in which hybridity has been suspected on the evi- 
dence of reddish colored foliage. But red leaved seedlings occur rather frequently with- 
out any possible antecedent cross. ‘They are especially common from Kelsey, though not 
rare from other Japanese varieties. Pissard itself is probably only another such sport, 
and J. W. Kerr has produced a red-leaved seedling from DeCaradeuc, 


BULLETIN 67, 13 


good. Season July 15 to Aug.1. Tree dwarfish, rather Chicksaw-like in 

general appearance, leaves small or very small, narrow oval, tapering above, 
tapering or unequally rounded at base, the upper surface 

glabrous, slightly tomentous underneath especially along 
the veins, margins irregularly dull crenulate glandular, 
petiole short rather stout with 2-3 small glands. 

The Chicksaw parentage preponderates in this variety, 
as in many others of its class. The characters which are 
not plainly Chicksaw are mostly anomalous, there being 
very little apparent evidence of Japan parentage. An 
interesting variety and worth a trial. 

This variety has sometimes been confused with Juicy, 
but the two are altogether distinct, as may be seen from 
a comparison of the figures and descriptions here 


given. 
9. GOLDEN. Mr. Burbank has sent me several very promising seed- 
lings of Golden. 


GONZALES, /. 7. Ramsey, Cat. 1897. 


Of unknown parentage, but undoubtedly a hybrid. It is probably a combi- 
nation of Prunus triflora with P. hortulana or P. angustifolia. 


10. GONZALES. 


Fruit large, about the size and shape of Burbank, nearly spherical, some- 
times a little irregular, and occasionally slightly pointed, bright wine red in- 
distinctly striped and splashed with deeper crimson, with many small yellow- 
ish dots, bloom white, skin moderately thick and firm, not harsh nor astring- 
ent, flesh rather firm and meaty, light red sweet and pleasant, stone medium 
size oval flattened cling, quality first rate. See fig. 10. Leayes narrow 


14 BULLETIN 67. 


oval tapering almost equally at both ends, margin finely crenulate and 
minutely glandular, surface glabrous above, a few small fine hairs on the 
mid-nerve at the back, petiole rather short and slender with usually two 
small glands. 

Originated in Gonzales, Texas, about 1894. A very promising plum. 


Ll ay UICS: 


GOVALLE, /. 7. Ramsey, Cat. 1898. 


Thought to be a Japanese-Chickasaw hybrid. Appearances indicate the 
correctness of this view. 


Fruit large, dark wine red, with indistinct stripes of yellow showing 
through, many small yellow dots, skin thin, stone medium large oval slightly 
flattened, cling. 

Originated with Mr. Jos. Breck, Texas, and named after the old Mexican 
grantee of the land on which the original tree grows. Introduced by F. T. 
Ramsey in 1898. 


HOLLAND, W. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 
From Kelsey seed, supposed to be crossed with Lonestar. This would be 
Prunus triftora X P. angustifolia. Probably a true hybrid. 
Fruit size and form of Abundance, greenish yellow splashed with red, 
flesh moderately firm and juicy, vinous, adheres slightly to stone. Season 
late June, in Texas. 


=§ 


HYBRID PLUMS. 15 
Tree vigorous of rather compact stocky habit, leaves medium large, ovate or 
lanceolate, tapering at both ends, thin flat and glabrous, margins finely 
glandular serrate, petioles medium with occasional 
small glands. 
Originated by D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


Juicy, Burbank, New Creations 1893, A. 20. 


A seedling of Robinson pollinated with Botan. 
Prunus angustifolia X P. triflora. 

Fruit irregularly ellipsoid, medium size, cavity me- a, Lely 
dium deep rounded, stem medium long strong, color 
clear yellow, many indistinct white dots and a thin white 
bloom, skin thin, bloom thin white, flesh yellow, rather 
soft and watery, stone medium large flattened pointed 
cling, quality fair to good. Season last of July. Tree 
a strong rampant upright grower; leaves medium to 
large, ovate, taper pointed, rounded at the base, glab- 
rous, margins finely serrate, petiole rather short with 
small glands. 

Introduced by John Lewis Childs in 1894. Not 
to be confused with Golden, which see. 


, 
werd 
S35} . 
, 
Wee 
WAL os ise? 


12. JUICY. 


KELSEY 1, KELSEY 2, KELSEY 3, Theo. Williams, in 
Cat. J]. W. Kerr 1898, p. 18. 
All said to be hybrids from Kelsey seed crossed with Early Cherry,— 
Prunus triflora X P. cerasifera. 


I have seen only foliage and nursery trees of these varieties. The foliage 
strongly suggests a hybrid origin. They have not yet been tested. Origin- 
ated with Mr. Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb. 


K. P. 193. Purple-leaved hybrid plum. Surdank, New Creations 1893, p. 16.. 


This is another purple leaved seedling of Kelsey, the coloring of the leaves. 
being the chief evidence of accidental pollination by Pissard. As mentioned 
elsewhere this does not seem to make a very strong case. This variety was. 


never sent out, and Mr. Burbank now says that he has many other varieties. 
which excel it. 


Lannix, /. S. Breece,in S. B Feiges, Rpt. Pom. U.S. D. A. 1895, p. 45. 


Thought to be a cross of Abundance and Wildgoose. The following des-- 
cription from Heiges (loc. cit.) plainly suggests Wildgoose, but does not. 
indicate the participation of Abundance. 

“Fruit oval, medium size, color coppery red, a little darker than Wildgoose,, 
dots minute light russet, bloom light blue, cavity medium size round deep 
abrupt, stem short, suture very shallow, skin thin tenacious bitter, stone 


16 BULLETIN 67. 

large oval cling, flesh yellowish translucent slightly fibrous, flavor mild sub- 
acid rich, quality good. Season [in N. C.] June 20-25.” Leaf rather large, 
oval, pointed, rounded at the base, rather leathery in appearance, smooth 
on both sides, margin finely crenulate-serrate, glandless, petiole short and 
stout, usually glandless. 


LATE Conicatu. Lurbank, unpublished. 
Prunus triflora X P. simonti. 


Fruit strongly conical, rather large, cavity shallow abrupt, stem short, 

suture shallow, color red and 
purplish over yellow, dots many 
large yellow, bloom heavy 
purplish, skin medium _ thick, 
flesh yellow solid firm, stone 
medium size flattened pointed 
free, flavor sweet and agreeable, 
quality superfine. The finest 
“quality: of any plum yet exam- 
ined, though Mr. Burbank thinks 
this is not a fair comparison. 
Tree a rapid grower, form of 
Burbank. Leaves medium to 
large, broadly oval, abruptly 
pointed, tapering at the base, 
rather stiff, margins rather 
coarsely double crenulate, petiole large, set with glands. 


18. LATE CONICAL: 


Louis1ana, Bazley, Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 139, (1897) p. 377. 
Probably Prunus triflora X P. hortulana or P. angustifolia. 


Fruit irregularly ovoid, medium to large, cavity shallow rounded, stem 
medium, visible suture, color greenish overlaid with dull red, dots many 
large whitish, bloom thick white, skin medium thick, flesh yellow stringy, 
stone large oval flattened cling, flavor sprightly subacid good, quality fair. 
Season Sept. 1. Tree a slender and spreading grower, strongly sug- 
gesting Wildgoose, leaves medium size, tapering at both ends, very finely 
glandular crenulate, glabrous, petioles glandular. This variety has the bad 
habit of ripening unevenly and dropping from the tree before maturing. 
It has proved hardy thus far at Ithaca, N. Y. 


MANKATO, S LD. Richardson & Son, 1890. 


This variety is said to have been grown from seed of German Prune, and 
was thought to be a hybrid because its characters are purely Americana. Its 
hybridity may be regarded as very doubtful. Meanwhile it is properly 
classed in the Americana group, and not among the hybrids. 


HYBRID PLUMS. LF 


MARIANNA. 


Supposed by Bailey (Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 38, p. 32), to be possibly a 
hybrid between the Myrobalan and some American plum, possibly Wild- 
goose. This supposition is more fully discussed on page 23 of this bulletin. 
The variety is so well known that it need not be described here. 


MARYLAND, /. W. Kerr, Catalogue 1896. 
A seedling of Utah Hybrid, which see. Prunus watsont X P. besseyt. 


Fruit round or slightly ellipsoid, small, dark red or maroon, stone medium 
size pointed cling. Season July 15-25, [in Md.] Leaves large oval pointed, 
rounded at the base, thickish, harsh, smooth above, tomentous below, mar- 
gin irregularly crenulate and minutely glandular, petiole short strong, with 
2-3 prominent glands. 

_ Of no value in the orchard. 


MINNIE, /. S. Breece, unpublished. 


Probably Abundance pollinated with Wildgoose. Prunus triflora X P. 
hortulana. 


Leaf very much like Abundance, large, slightly obovate, abruptly pointed, 
rounded at the base, smooth on both sides, margin irregularly double-crenu- 
late-serrate, with occasional small glands, petiole short and stiff, with several 
glands. 


MoNnoLITH, /. S. Breece, in S. B. Heiges, Rpt. Pom. U. S. D. A. 1895, p. 46. 


“Tt appears to be intermediate between Botan [Abundance] and Wild- 
goose.” This variety has exactly the same standing as Lannix, and like that 
variety appears from the description to show strong Wildgoose characteris- 
tics without a corresponding balance of Japanese marks. 

Heiges describes the fruit as follows: “Roundish, slightly conical, medium 
size, bright coppery red with longitudinal stripes of darker red, dots numer- 
ous minute russet, bloom profuse pale blue, cavity medium in size and depth, 
round flaring, stem slender, suture very shallow, skin thin tenacious bitter, 
stone medium size oval semi-cling, flesh yellowish translucent, meaty tender 
juicy, s mewhat fibrous, flavor mild subacid rich, quality good to very good. 
Season July 15 [in N. C. | 


MULE, /. W. Kerr, Catalogue, 1896. 


Troth Early peach crossed on Wildgoose plum. An authentic hybrid. 

Tree with very much the form of Wildgoose plum, but looking more like a 
peach on account of the peach-like foliage. Twigs and leaves quite peach- 
like, the latter, however, rather broader and stiffer than peach leaves, sharply 
tapering at the point, rounded at the base, margin sharply and irregularly 
appressed glandular crenulate, petiole short and stiff, with three to six 


18 BULLETIN 67. 


glands. The tree forms flower buds which never blossom. They contain 
deformed anthers but no pistils. The variety is therefore perfectly sterile. 


NIKKO, Burbank, Special Circular, Sept. 1, 1898. 
Syn. Apple, by mistake in a few cases. 


Parentage unknown, but probably Satsumaon one side. I have not had 
the opportunity to examine this variety, which is characterized as a good 
dark red, red-fleshed, conical plum. 


PENDENT. Zheo. Williams in J. W. Kerr, Cat. 1898, p 19. 


Said to be from seed of Pottawattamie pollinated by Forest Garden. This. 
would be P. angustifolia X P. americana. I have seen only the leaves, and 
these seem to be intermediate between the supposed parents. 

Leaves medium large, long ovate, taper pointed, rounded at the base, 
rather stiff and harsh, especially harsh on the under side, margin medium 
finely double serrate with an occasional minute gland, petiole slender, 
usually with two small glands. 

Originated with Theo. Williams, Benson, Nebr. 


PENNOCK, Chas. £. Pennock, unpublished. 


From seed of Rocky Mountain Cherry thought to be pollinated with (Moore’s) 
Arctic. This would be Prunus besseyt X P. domestica. 

The meager specimens which I have examined show a preponderance of 
P. besseyzt characters, but also suggest P. domestica in some respects. 

Mr. Pennock describes the fruit as follows: ‘‘ Nearly round, about an inch 
in diameter, deep blue in color with a bloom, having a slight suture, flavor’ 
between a plum and cherry, excellent to eat out of hand or for preserves or 
canning; tree of dwarfish growth, but upright. Was raisea from seed 
planted in 1893.” The leaves are medium size, ovate, tapering at both ends,. 
rather coarsely serrate, flat and thickish, with some fine tomentum on either 
side, petiole short and stiff, occasionally a small gland at the base of blade. 
The stone is small, round, and cherry-like. 

Mr. Pennock, Fort Collins, Colo., the originator, says he now has Early 
Richmond cherry and Arctic plum growing nicely on the same stock of this. 
variety. He has thus far found it a very useful stock for plums. 


PRESERVER, W. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 


Probably a cross of Kelsey with Early Red, Kelsey seed. This would be 
Prunus triflora X P. angustifolia 


Fruit dark red, flesh red firm. Season June [in Texas] Tree vigorous, 
compact, leaves small, lance-ovate tapering at both ends, thin flat and 
glabrous, margins finely glandular serrate, petioles rather short and slender 
with occasional small glands. 

Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 19 


RAGLAND, W.. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 


Probablya hybrid; from Kelsey seed supposedly pollinated by Yellow 
Transparent; 1. e., Prunus triflora X P. angustifolia. 


Fruit large roundish clear golden yellow, flesh juicy melting. Season 
June, in Texas. A vigorous, compact upright grower, leaves medium 
size, slightly obovate pointed, tapering at the base, thin smooth glossy, 
margin finely glandular serrate. 

Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


Rusy, /- S. Breece, unpublished. 


Supposed to be Botan [Abundance] pollinated by Wildgoose. Prunus 
triflora X P. hortulana. 


Leaf medium size, oval, pointed, tapering or slightly rounded at the base, 
rather stiff and harsh, margin finely and irregularly crenulate, petiole medium 
length, stiff and strong, with small glands. I have not seen the fruit. 


SCRIBNER, J. S. Lreece,in S. B. Heiges, Rpt. Pom. UV. S. D. A, 1895, 2. 46. 


** Considered a probable cross of the Wildgoose on Botan” [ Abundance. ] 
This plum falls into exactly the same category as Lannix, which see. 

This fruit is described by Heiges (loc. cit.) as follows: ‘Roundish oval 
large, bright crimson, dots numerous minute russet, bloom pale bluish, cavity 
medium size deep flaring, stem short slender, suture shallow, skin medium 
thick slightly bitter, stone medium size oval cling, flesh yellowish translucent 
tender melting juicy somewhat fibrous, mild subacid, quality good. Sea- 
son, early July [in N. C.]” 


Strocco, /. S. Breece, in S. B. Heiges, Rpt. Pom. VU. S. D. A. 1895, p. 47. 
Said to be “‘a probable cross of Botan [Abundance] and Marianna.” 


The fruit is described by Heiges (loc. cit.) as follows: “Roundish oval, 
medium size, coppery red under streaks of yellow, dots minute light russet, 
bloom light blue, cavity small, very shallow, abrupt, stem short slender, 
suture a trace, skin thin, stone medium size, oval, flesh reddish yellow near 
the skin and yellow near the stone, fine grained, very juicy, sweet subacid, 
quality good. Season middle July [in N. C.]” 


SoPHIE, /. W. Kerr, Cat. 1894. 
This variety was introduced as “a seedling of Wildgoose, supposed to be 
crossed with German Prune.” It appears, however, to belong properly in 
the Wildgoose group, where Mr. Kerr now classifies it. 


BULLETIN 67. 


20 


2B = 1 a — 
——— SS A SSS 


titan 
cop 
Aaa 


\S \“N Sy 


SS 
“SS 
re 


ar” 


YATES. 


HOLLAND. 


BRECK. 


HYBRID PLUMS. Zt 


Urau Hypsrip, (Cherry), J. 2. Johnson. 
Prunus utahensis, Dieck in Dippel, Laubholzkunde 3, p. 634 (1893). 


Bailey decided in 189% that ‘‘all botanical evidence goes to show that this 
plant is a hybrid of Prunus besseyz [the Rocky Mountain dwarf cherry] and 
the Sand plum, P. watsonz,’ and he gave the following botanical details 
bearing out this supposition.* 

The Black Utah Hybrid cherry originated with J. E. Johnson at Wood 
River, Nebraska, on or near the Platte river, probably sometime in the sixties. 
Mr. Johnson grew native dwarf cherries and sand plums in his garden. 
Seeds of these cherries were sown. One of the seedlings was saved and 
propagated. Mr. Johnson soon afterward moved to Utah, whence, it ap- 
pears, he distributed this variety as the Utah Hybrid cherry. 

Plant dwarfish, 3-4 ft. high, twigs somewhat zigzag like P. watsonz 
leaves small, narrow orate, pointed at both ends, somewhat conduplicate and 
a trifle rough, margins crenulate, glandless, petioles medium short, occasion- 
ally with small glands, fruit small, spherical, cherry-like, but with a plum-like 
bloom, stone round cherry-like. 

This hybrid has not proved to be of any practical value, except perhaps in 
rare circumstances. One of the best of the class is Mr. Kerr’s seedling, 
Maryland, which see. 


Watson, W. A. Vates, Circular, 1897. 


Probably a hybrid; from Kelsey seed, thought to be pollinated by Lonestar. 
This would be Prunus trifloria X P. angustifolia. 


Fruit large, rather pointed, red when fully ripe, flesh yellow, juicy, melt- 
ing, adhering slightly to the pit, which is small. Tree vigorous, of some 
what open habit, leaves medium to large, ovate-lanceolate, taper pointed, 
tapering or slightly rounded at the base, thin and glabrous, margins finely 
serrate with minute glands, petiole short, sometimes with small glands.. 
Said by the introducer to be very prolific and valuable. 

Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


WICKSON, Burbank. 


This variety has always been classified as a Japanese plum, and the origin- 
ator, Luther Burbank, says that it has grown from Burbank seed pollinated. 
by Kelsey. But Baileyt has expressed a suspicion that Prunus simon? en- 
tered into the parentage of this variety,—a suspicion which is so strong in 
my own mind that I do not hesitate to classify it as a hybrid. (See remarks. 
on the classification of hybrids, page 24). Tree, foliage and fruit all partake 
of the characteristic marks of the Simon plum; and whatever its real parent- 
age may be, the variety can be well described as intermediate between Kel- 
sey and Simon. 


*Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 70, (1894) p. 263. 
+Corneil Exp, Sta. Bul, 139, (1897), p. 381. 


22 BULLETIN 67. 


YATES, W. A. Yates, Circluar, 1897. 


Probably a hybrid; from Kelsey seed thought to be pollinated by Lonestar. 
This is Prunus treflora X P. angustifolia. 


Very much like Holland, from which we need not distinguish it here. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


2. ON CERTAIN GROUPS OF HYBRIDS. 


Besides the varieties already named and described and which are mostly 
the intentional or unintentional products of cultivation, there are certain 
large groups of hybrids occurring in nature. This subject has been so fully 
discussed elsewhere that it is unnecessary to go into it in detail here.* It 
will be sufficient now to say that, in the view of certain plum students at 
least, the Hortulana plums, consisting of three large groups,—the Wildgoose, 
the Wayland and the Miner,—are to be regarded asa great family of hy- 
‘brids. On purely speculative grounds we may assume that the Wildgoose 
group is the result of various primary crosses between the wild Prunus 
americana and P. angustifolia, and that the Miner group represents secondary 
‘crosses between the Wildgoose group and the Americanas. With some- 
‘what less certainty we may assume that the Wayland group has arisen from 
crosses of P. azgustifolia with the southern form of the Americana plum, 
P. americana mollis. 

These assumptions are in a fair way to be proved or corrected by experi- 
‘mental evidence. As soon asa sufficient series of Americana-Angustifolia 
hybrids are produced in cultivation they may be compared with the existing 
varieties of the three groups in question in the expectation of interesting 
revelations. It must be admitted that the few Americana-Angustifolia hy- 
brids now known do not confirm the hypothesis set forth above. In figure 
15 will be seen tracings from the leaf margins of Forewattamie and Pendent, 
both hybrids of this class, compared with their specific parents. One is 
‘struck at once by the intermediateness of character exhibited by the hybrids. 
But if one compares the margins of Forewattamie and Pendent with that of 
Wildgoose, shown in fig. 16 resemblance fails. Wildgoose, judged by leaf 
margin alone, is much nearer the Chicasaws than the Americanas, while the 
primary hybrids, Pendent and Forewattamie, are approached most closely by 
certain varieties of the Wayland group. It might be said however that some 
varieties of the Wildgoose group have leaf margins less Chicasaw-like than 
Wildgoose. This is a complicated subject, and well worth separate treat- 
ment, but we cannot go into it further here. 


*These discussions may be found in Vt. Exp. Sta. Rpt, 10, (1897), p, 105; Garden and 
Forest Io, (1897), 340; Botanical Gazette, 26, (1898), p. 50, See also Bailey, Evolution of 
our Native Fruits, (1898) p. 195. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 23 


The Marianna with certain similar plums comes up for consideration in 
this connection. Bailey* has given special study to Marianna and DeCara- 
deuc, and has concluded that the former is possibly a hybrid between the 
Myrobalan plum, Prunus ceraszfera, and some native sort, perhaps Wildgoose, 
and that DeCaradeuc is pure Myrobalan. This conclusion has recently been 
reiterated.t There are several varieties of this group which Bailey has not 
studied. Among these I have notes on Brill. Frostproof, Hattie, Hogg, and 
Tarleton. These are all plainly related to Marianna, but they are all, with the 
possible exception of Hattie, to be readily referred to Prunus cerasifera. While 
I have not given this group the detailed study which I hope to devote to it at 
some future time, my present belief is that none of the varieties mentioned is 
to be regarded as a hybrid, except, perhaps, Marianna. This seems to me 
to be probably a Myrobalan-Chicasaw hybrid. 

It is very instructive to note how the horticultural hybrids now run in 
groups. Mr. Williams of Nebraska has a group of Triflora-Cerasifera hy- 
brids; Mr. Ramsey in Texas has a little family of Triflora-Hortulana hybrids ; 
Mr. Breece in North Carolina has a similar series; while the late D. H. 
Watson of Texas, produced a very homogeneous group of Triflora-Angusti- 
folia crosses. Even among the multifarious productions of Mr. Burbank one 
can not fail to be struck by the pre-eminent conspicuousness of the Simoni- 
Triflora hybrids.{. Hybrid plums seem to go in flocks, like wild ducks. 

This fact is very suggestive. In the first place it encourages the plum 
breeder, for he may always expect a good quantity of material from which to 
select. In the second place, remembering that most of these hybrids have 
come from accidental cross-pollination, we are taught that crossing in the 
orchard is very common. Where varieties of the same blossoming season 
are planted together their mixture is almost certain. It remains only to 
save the pits and grow the seedlings. The chance of securing hybrid varie- 
ties is always good. 


*Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul, 38, (1892), p. 32. 
t¢Evolution of our Native Fruits, (1898), p. 203. 


tA number of supposed hybrids grown by C. G, Bushnell. Centerbrook, Conn., and 
thought to be of Triflora~-Domestica and Triflora-native origin are noted in Rural New 
Yorker, 62, p, 626, Sept, 10, 1898, No further information concerning them is at hand, 


24 BULLETIN 67. 


Il. HYBRIDITY AMONG PLUMS: 


1. TRUSTWORTHY EVIDENCES OF HYBRIDITY. 


There is a strong prejudice in almost all quarters against admitting the 
hybrid origin of any plant except upon the most indubitable evidence. This 
is a good, conservative, scientific principle, but it may be carried too far. It 
is rather a near sighted way of looking at the matter, though not uncommon, 
to think that careful hand-pollination of emasaculated blossoms, followed by 
painstaking rearing of the seedlings, furnishes the only basis upon which 
hybridity can be really certified. Weare taught by all our theories, and 
know from observation of the facts, that hand pollinations made with the . 
greatest care give very uncertain results. The offspring when secured may 
resemble one parent alone, in which case the strong presumption is that the 
hybridization was a failure. That is the extrinsic chafacters of the plant are 
relied upon for the final proof of its parentage. 

This overturns at a stroke all our prejudices, but it puts the subject in its 
proper light. Onthe whole the practical horticulturist cares very little, 
whether a plant is a hybrid or not unless its visible characters show some 
evidence of its pluri-specific parentage. With plants occurring wild the 
distribution of a strange form is an important evidence of hybridity, as in 
the case of Prunus hortulana; and for a study of hybridity in general, au- 
thentic pedigrees are indispensable ; but for all practical, and for most scien- 
tific purposes, intermediateness of character is the only practicable and 
the most reliable test of hybridity. 

The greatest caution, however, must be exercised in following out this rule. 
It will not do to jump at conclusions in such an intricate matter. No one 
can determine at the first glance whether the characters of a new variety are 
drawn from several definable sources. It is often difficult to decide what the 
relationships of a given variety are, even after long study of all the charac- 
ters of plant, foliage, blossom, and fruit. It is a very serious problem to 
classify some varieties which belong to only one species! Before the pomol- 
ogist refers a new plum to two species he must give the evidence his most 


searching scrutiny. 


2. CLASSIFICATION AS AFFECTED BY HYBRIDITY. 


What has just been said leads directly to the matter of classification. The 
natural way to classify a hybrid is to name the parents from which it has 
sprung. But sucha classification is misleading unless the hybrid variety 
partakes of the characters of the parents to which it is referred. To be sure 
it is quite possible that a hybrid may have sprung from two given parents 
and still show the characters of neither. And though this would be an im- 
portant fact, it is entirely aside from the matter of classification, and classifi- 
cation is of the greater importance. So that, whatever precautions may be 


HYBRID PLUMS. 25 


necessary in studying the physiology of hybridity, the characterization and 
classification of hybrids depends on intermediateness of extrinsic characters 
alone. 

As a matter of fact this is the sole basis of classification anyway ; for al- 
though many people assume physiological and genealogical characters in 
their definitions of species, they disregard everything but external charac- 
ters in species-making. Classification is, first of all, a systematic presenta- 
tion of apparent resemblances and differences. 

; G It is necessary to dwell on 

YZ this point here, for in the 
y classification of hybrids the 
temptation is especially 
strong to obscure the value 
of the plant’s visible attri- 
butes by bringing in divers 
irrelevant considerations. 

A hybrid, then, is to be 
classified by referring it to 
the several species whose 
characters it exhibits. But 
different hybrids of the same 
parentage may exhibit their 
several characters in various 
combinations or in different 
degrees. Itis the business 
of the pomologist to point 
out these different combina- 


15. Leaf Margiin of Wyant, (representing Forest tions and degrees in his des- 
Garden), Pendent, Forewattamie and Pottawattamie. ates : 
Pendent and Forewattamie are supposed hybrids be- Ps Another sere e 
tween Forest Garden and Pottawattamie. Magnified. lies in the fact that, in a 


\. 


\ 
SS 


\\\\ 


x 


(WW 


single series of hybrids, one 
variety may strongly resemble one parent, while another resembles the other 
more particularly, and this leads to difficulty, because it soon presents an 
unbroken chain of intergradient forms reaching from one specific type to 
the other. This is quite true, but the plant classifier who insists on having 
missing links to mark off his groups would better keep out of horticulture 
altogether! ; 

This difficulty has already arisen in the classification of plums. It is 
especially exemplified in the great Hortulana tribe with its various subdi- 
visions. As these plums are now supposed to present a vast congregation 
of hybrids (see page 22), they offer a case directly in point. The present 
writer has already shown* that these varieties fall into a long and scarcely 


*See Vt. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 10, (1897), p. 104. Also Garden and Forest 10, (1897), p. 304, 


26 BULLETIN 67. 


broken series, which may be arbitrarily cut up into various subdivisions for 
convenience of study, though these subdivisions can never be separated from 
one another. 

A good classification, at least in such variable groups as those now under 
discussion, does not depend so much on the exactness with which boundary 
lines are traced as on the clearness with which certain dominant or central 
types are set forth. Thus we have the Wildgoose plum as the type of the 
Wildgoose group. This is something definite, tangible, though the bound- 
ary line between the Wildgoose group and the Chicasaws is quite as imagi- 
nary as that one which “‘passes around the earth midway between the poles.” 

The work of classifying plums thus falls into two parts. First one must 
fix in his mind certain definite types; and second, he must group the multitud- 

inous varieties about these types, 


Y variations are very great. The 
‘Y. introduction of this new factor, 
GY, the hybrid plums, into pomology 


4+ EZ 
DY 


Y Vv, does not introduce a new factor 
g ZA into plum classification. No 
Zz, one need feel that all the pains 
spent in recent years in arrang- 

74 


ing horticultural varieties into 


16. Leaf Margins of Abundance, Scribner lists under sundry botanical 
Lannix, Minnie, Ruby and Wildgoose. Abund- : : : 
ance and Wildgoose are the supposed parents of species will be lost, or that ulti- 
the others. Note intermediate characters. mate and inextricable confusion 


awaits us. We need only to 
keep more clearly in mind than before the ideal types which have been 
chosen, and if a given variety falls midway between two specific types it 
will be understood best by calling it a hybrid of the species represented. 
It is very important to have this matter clearly understood now when arti- 
ficially produced hybrids are just beginning to come into notice. 


3. EXTENT AND LIMITS OF HYBRIDITY IN PLUMS. 


We have heard a great deal at one time and another about the limits ot 
crossing between species and of the affinities of one species for others. If 
such limits and affinities exist, it is important that we should learn them. 
For their study no material is better than, the results of experimental cros- 


ZZ referring them to whatever type 
Z, or types they seem most to 
‘7 resemble. 

Z This is the ideal method, but 
ZB, it is especially necessary in the — 
Z Classification of hybrids or of 
groups in which the ordinary 


P ah ae z. \ 
ae YONA 


HYBRID PLUMS. 27 


sings. And though the number of hybrids thus far brought to light is sadly: 
‘small for such a generalization, the urgency of the demand for information 
on this point may execuse a hasty survey of the present data in the hope that 
some slight prevision of the truth may reward us. 

For this purpose the list of hybrids has been thorougly overhauled, those: 
of very uncertain parentage have been thrown out, all those of parentage 
reaching outside the true plums have been discarded, and a few unpublished 
varieties have been added to those described on pages 5-22. The list so: 
arranged numbered 30 varieties, of which the parentage is distributed as 
shown in the following table. For the purposes of this comparison Prunus 
hortulana is regarded as a separate species. 


TABLE SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF HYBRID PLUMS AMONG PARENT 


SPECIES: 
Be 
SPECIES | @ | 3 Behe a ee ales 
AS ol PEC Nan = BS 
zo 5 rete] Dis Ba aS Ss 5 
fy Ay hy Ay om Ay Ay 
P. domestica i 
P. cerasifera 5 il 
P. simoni 5 
P triflora ] 5 5 10 5 1 
P. angustifolia 1 10 2 
P. hortulana 5 
P. americana 1 2 
Totals 1 6 5 27 TS 5 iS 


As already indicated these thirty varieties do not furnish an adequate: 
basis for generalization, but nevertheless some of the figures in the table are 
worthy of remark. The first thing which strikes the eye is the very large 
number of hybrids having Japanese pedigrees. ‘Twenty-seven, or 90 per 
cent of the whole list, are referred to this species. One explanation of this. 
strange fact is that horticulturists have made special effort to secure Japanese 
hybrids, because they have felt that this line was one of unusual promise. But 
this is not the only reason. It seems fairly safe to conclude, even thus early, 
that the Japanese plums have a special affinity for the Chicasaws and for the 
closely related members of the Wildgoose group. 

Another fact of interest in the foregoing table is the reference of only one 
hybrid to Prunus domestica. There has been a belief for sometime preva- 
lent among fruit growers that the Domestica plums did not cross naturally 
with other species, and that hybrids were to be produced artifically only with 
extreme difficulty. This view is probably correct. The Americana plums also: 


28 BULLETIN 67. 


seem to have less affinity for the other species with which they are usually 
cultivated than do the Chicasaws, Hortulanas and Trifloras. 

As to the absolute limits of possible cross-fecundation our ideas have 
been considerably extended. It may be considered settled that crosses can 
be effected, under favorable conditions, between any two species of plums. 
What is much more remarkable is the unquestionable fact that several of the 
cherries may be crossed with the plums. In the Compass cherry Prunus 
besseyi has been combined with Miner, which stands very near to the Ameri- | 
canas. Inthe Utah Hybrid P. besseyi has doubtless been united with P. 
watsoni. I have also had the opportunity to examine what seem to be satis- 
factory hybrids of Prunus subcordataX P. triflora and P. maritima X P. 
besseyt. Mr. Burbank last summer sent me two distinct and probably au- 
thentic hybrids between Satsuma plum and Belle Magnifique cherry. 
Theo. Williams of Nebraska is said to have a hybrid of Wildgoose plum with 
Dye House cherry. Orange’s Cherry-Plum, so-called, introduced to the 
trade a few years ago, and originating in Florida, is perhaps a cherry-plum 
hybrid. Henry A. Brainerd of California has also raised two or three 
trees which seem to be true plum-apricot hybrids; and two famous cases of 
plum-peach hybrids are on record (see Blackman and Mule, p. 7 and 17.) 
T. V. Munson of Texas has reported a number of hybrids o f Wildgoose 
plum with Alexandar peach.* 

These strange facts furnish food for reflection, and tend to make one cau- 
tious in his predictions. 

Another conclusion seems warranted from the facts thus far developed. 
This is that crossing in the plum orchard is altogether common. Thus we 
may depend on all sorts and species of plums for cross-pollination, and may 
expect to see great numbers of accidental hybrids brought to notice in the 
next few years. 


4, UTILITY OF THE SEVERAL SPECIES IN HYBRIDIZING. 


The introduction of accidental hybrids is likely to be supplemented in the 
immediate future by more extensive and systematic work in the production 
of hybrids by hand-pollination. This work is apt to be successful in propor- 
tion to the intelligence brought to bear on it. Any suggestions, therefore, 
as to the value of the several available species in the production of hybrids 
may be acceptable, though, like the other generalizations of this bulletin, 
they are put forth in a tentative manner only. 

Prunus domestica.—This species is comparatively difficult to hybridize. It 
may be hoped, however, that it will give the very best of results. The solid, 
meaty flesh and the freestone character of leading Domesticas are especially 
desirable for combination with the higher flavor, better color, freer growth, 
healthier foliage, and other desirable qualities of native species. The writer 
looks with especial favor upon the combination of Domestica with Americana 
parents. 


*Country Gentleman 51, (1886), p. 972. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 29. 


Prunus cerasifera.—During the preparation of this paper a considerable 
number of hybrids of this species were examined. Several of them appeared 
to be of value, but on the whole this species is not to be regarded as a prom- 
ising one for use in hybridizations. 


Prunus simoni.—<The best of all the plums in hybridizing,” writes Mr. 
Burbank, and his results seem to justify him in the opinion. Although 
Prunus simoni itself is regarded by most horticulturists as a very worthless 
thing it seems to have a thoroughly respectable progeny. The peculiarly 
disagreeable taste which characterizes the parent seems never to be present 
in hybrid offspring. Instead one has a firm, meaty flesh, with a rich, sweet, 
sugary flavor. The size, color, and flesh of the Simon plum are all desir- 
able, and though it is hardly probable that other hybridizers will have the 
same success with this species that Mr. Burbank has had, it has nevertheless 
fully proved itself worthy of consideration. 


Prunus triflora—The facility with which this species crosses with others, 
especially with P. angustifolia, has already been touched upon. ‘The twenty- 
seven hybrids. credited to it on page 27 form an interesting and important 
family. Crossing with the Chicasaws, however, seems inclined to give fruits 
with soft, stringy, watery flesh clinging to the stones. These are among 
the more undesirable characters of the Chicasaws, and might be wisely 
avoided by using other combinations. Although it is much more difficult to 
combine P. triflora with P. americana, the results are likely to prove much 
better. 

P. angustifolia.—This species is discussed in the preceding paragraph as 
regards its combination with P. triflora. It ought to be combined with 
varieties having firm, meaty flesh and free stones. 


P. hortulana.—The remark made in the paragraph above applies also 
to the Hortulanas. They are, however, to be regarded in general as more 
promising subjects of hybridization. They should be crossed with firm 
fleshed, free-stone sorts. 

P. americana.—The finest flavor known in plums belongs unquestionably 
to the Americanas. The firmness of flesh and hardiness of tree are also 
qualities of paramount practical importance. Partly on account of their late 
blooming season, and partly perhaps onaccount of a lack of affinity for other 
species, they do not hybridize so readily in the orchard. For the same rea- 
sons they are not so convenient for the plant breeder. In spite of this they . 
are among the most promising plums for the production of valuable hybrids. 

Other species may possibly give valuable varieties in some cases, but no 
particular attention need be given them in the present chaotic state of our 
knowledge. 


5. PLUM-GROWING AS AFFECTED BY THE HYBRIDS. 


First of all let it be understood that the present discussion of hybrid plums 
is not a recommendation of them for orchard planting. No list of select va- 
rieties is given, and no single variety is awarded a general recommendation. 
No hybrid variety has yet shown its ability to take a place in commercial 
horticulture. No one has ever proved a right to a place in the family fruit 
garden. Several of the varieties described in this bulletin are of great inter- 
est and some promise, and may well be planted by the amateur who loves to’ 
experiment with new things. More than this cannot be said respecting the 
present value of the hybrid plums. 

The hybrid plums are discussed here for the fullness of the promise which 
they give of good things to come. It is the deliberate belief of the writer 
that the introduction of the hybrid plums marks an epoch in plum culture. 
The results promise to be even more abundant and far-reaching than those 
which have flowed from the hybridization of our native grapes. This is a 
‘strong comparison. 

It is fully determined that plum-cherry hybrids are possible. The produc- 
tion of a plum-cherry hybrid capable of cultivation on a commercial scale 
would be the most revolutionary event in the history of horticulture. 

Another possibility in plum hybridization, which it is yet too early to real- 
ize, is the selection of improved progeny from second, third, fourth, and 
subsequent generations of hybridized stock. It is a well known general 
principle that the immediate product of a cross-pollination is not so likely to 
give something desirable as are the seedlings of the second, third and fourth 
generations from this primary hybrid. The hybridization ‘‘breaks the type” 
and gives a beginning to variation. Subsequent generations are likely to 
vary immensely, even without further crossing, and among these variations 
the plant breeder may expect to find his prizes. Mr. Burbank is the only 
plum breeder within my knowledge who has thus far acted upon this princi- 
ple. His early results are very encouraging. Already I have examined a 
number of second-generation seedlings of one of his best known hybrid vari- 
eties, among which several seem to be great improvements on the parent va- 
riety. Other groups of second and third generation hybrids which I have 
examined give equally gratifying impressions. 

Perhaps it would be well in closing to repeat the statement that, although 
we expect great things from the hybrid plums in the future, no known hybrid 
is herewith recommended for anything but experimental planting. 


VERMONT AGRICULTURAL 


PERIMENT STATION 


BURLINGTON, VT. 


BULLETIN No. 67 


DECEMBER, 1898 


HYBRID PLUMS 


¥ SUMMARY.—Page 3 
II. Hyprip PLums.—Pages 4-23 
Introductory note 

1. Descriptive and Historical Notes.— Pages 5-22 

2. On Certain Groups of Hybrids.—Pages 22-23 
III]. HyYBRIDITY AMONG PLUMS.—Pages 24-30 
Trustworthy Evidences of Hybridity.—Page 24 
Classification as Affected by Hybridity.— Pages 24-26 
Extent and Limits of Hybridity in Plums.—Pages 26-28 
Utility of the Several Species in Hybridizing.—Pages 28-29 
Plum-Growing as Affected by the Hybrids.—Page 30 


or ON 


MONTPELIER : 
VERMONT WATCHMAN COMPANY, 
PRINTERS. 


THE VERMONT 


Agricultural Experiment Station, 


BURLINGTON, VT. 


BOARD OF CONTROL 


Pres. M. H. BUCKHAM, ex-officzo, Burlington. 
Hon. E. J. ORMSBEE, Brandon. 

Hon. CASSIUS PECK, Burlington. 

Hon.G. 5. FASSET LT, .nospure; 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION 


J. L. HILLS, Director and Chemist. 
G. H. PERKINS, Entomologist. 

L. R. JONES, Botanist. 

F. A. WAUGH, Horticulturist. 

F, A. RICH, Veterinarian. 
CASSIUS PECK, Farm Superintendent. 
B. O. WHITE, Assistant Chemist. 
C. H. JONES, Assistant Chemist. 
W.A. ORTON, Assistant Botanist. 
W. C. NORCROSS, Dairyman. 
MARY A. BENSON, Stenographer. 
E. H. POWELL, Treasurer. 


BULLETIN No. 67.—HYBRID PLUMS. 


By F. A. WAvuGH. 


I. SUMMARY. 


II. 1. Descriptive and historical notes are given of fifty varieties 
of plums which have been supposed to be of hybrid origin. A few of 
these are doubtless not hybrids, though the large majority probably 
are. Pages 5-22. 

2. There are also certain large groups of plums growing wild 
in North America which seem to be of hybrid origin, the most import- 
ant being the Wildgoose, Wayland and Miner groups. Even under 
cultivation hybrids seem to occur in groups. Pages 22-23. 

III. 1. Among cultivated plums intermediateness of character is 
the best test of hybridity. While the pedigree record is not to be 
ignored, it is seldom reliable, and must always depend upon the test 
of intermediateness for its verification. The test of distribution can 
not be applied. Page 24. . 

2. A hybrid plum is to be classified by referring it to the 
several species whose characters it bears, rather than by reference to 
its pedigree. Pages 24-26. 

3. Hybridity seems to be quite common among plums. All 
species may be intercrossed. The Japanese plums cross with the 
Chicasaws and the Hortulanas with especialease. The Domesticas and 
Americanas cross with other groups with greater difficulty. Plums 
also cross with various cherries, peaches and apricots. Pages 26-28. 

4, Each species has its peculiar value in plum breeding, and 
certain combinations are more promising than others. Pages 28-29. 

5. The hybrid plums are likely to be eventually of great 
importance in fruit growing. Their introduction promises to mark 
an epoch in plum culture. Many of the varieties already produced 
are very promising, but none has yet been tested widely enough to 
warrant its general recommendation. Page 30. 


4 ; BULLETIN 66. 


Ty SHY BRIDSP Eis: 


A new factor has appeared in the study of plums. It is the production of 
hybrid varieties. This new factor is of immediate interest to the science of 
horticulture, and promises to be of very great consequence to the practical 
business of plum growing. 

The number of hybrid varieties already brought to light is not large, and 
yet the array is quite respectable and altogether fit to arouse the liveliest 
imagination of the horticulturist. It seems especially proper and important 
that these first hybrids should be carefully put on record, since they mark the 
beginning of what will doubtless be a far-reaching change. It is also in the 
highest degree desirable that we should understand as well and as soon as 
possible the general limits, tendencies and effects of hybridity among plums. 


These considerations have seemed to justify a more detailed study of vari- 
eties and variety characters than the practical value of most of the new plums 
here mentioned would merit alone. We have collected the best information 
obtainable regarding every hybrid variety of which we could learn, and 
though the majority of them perhaps, will never prove to be of practical value, 
they all help us to arrive at better generalizations. If, on the other hand, 
many varieties are given with very incomplete descriptions, their introduction 
here is justified on the same grounds. This is a record of beginnings, and 
beginnings are always fragmentary. 


Without further preamble, then, we will proceed to study those varieties of 


more or less authentically hybrid origin which have come within reach.} 


*The term hybrid is used here inits usual horticultural meaning, that is to designate a 
cross between two species. The writer very much regrets the attempt in certain quarters 
to give this word a different definition. The plea that one sometimes can not tell which 
are species and which are not, though true, (and notably so in plums), is no justification 
for abandoning the old-time definition of hybrid given above. ‘The term hybrid is just as 
accurate as the term species, and we certainly are not yet ready to abandon species, 


tAs this is only the beginning of the history of hybrid plums, and as we would like to 
follow the subject further, the help of all horticulturists is solicited. Information of any 
sort relating to any variety or varieties of supposed hybrid plums would be gladly wel- 
comed, Original descriptions of new varieties in catalogues, periodicals or any other publi- 
cations are especially desired. Samples of leaves, twigs, or fruit will always be of service- 
Address EXPERIMENT STATION, BURLINGTON, V‘. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 5 


1. DESCRIPTIVE AND HISTORICAL NOTES. 


A-248, Burbank, New Creations, 1893, p. 22. 


Robinson X Botan; that is Prunus angustifolia X P. triflora. 
Announced by Luther Burbank in 1893, but never sent out. Mr. Burbank 
informs me that he has destroy- 
ed it as he has now so many 
better varieties. 


ALHAMBRA, 
Burbank, unpublished. 


Probably Satsuma X Agen 
(Petite; d’Acen, or FF renen 
Prune;) that is Prunus triflora 
X P. domestica. 

Fruit egg-shaped, large or 
very large, cavity medium shal- 
low, abruptly rounded, suture 
shallow, apex pointed, color dark 
dull red, dots many small yellow- 

1. AMERICA. ish, bloom thin purplish, skin 

firm, flesh yellow inside, reddish 

outside, stone medium to large, flat, pointed, nearly smooth, cling, flavor 
brisk sub-acid, quality first-rate. 


ALLFRUIT, Burbank, unpublished. 
Prunus simoni X FP. triflora (Burbank). 


Fruit oblate, medium large, cavity deep, rounded, stem short, suture rather 
shallow, color pale red with many large and small yellowish dots and a thin 
white bloom, skin medium thick, flesh medium firm, bright yellow, stone 
medium to large, slightly flattened, semi-cling, flavor sweet and rich, fragrant, 
quality good to best. Leaf large, oval, pointed, rather finely double crenulate, 
and minutely glandular, rather thick, glistens as if varnished, petiole short, 
glandular. 


AMERICA, Burbank, New Creations, 1898, 2. 3. 
Botan X Robinson, Robinson seed; i. e., 2. triflora X P. angustifolia. 
Fruit nearly spherical, or a trifle elongated, medium to large, specimens 


measuring 42 mm in both longitudinal and transverse diameters, cavity 
medium depth, abrupt, stem short, suture faint, color bright golden yellow 


NOTE,—The illustrations of fruits are all exact size, but it must be remembered that 
pictures always look smaller than the objects, Illustrations of leaves are approximately 
half size, The leaf margins shown in figures 15 and 16 are somewhat magnified, 


6 BULLETIN. 67. 

with pink blush, dots many white small indistinct, bloom thin white, skin 
thin somewhat astringent, flesh yellow medium firm, stone large oval slightly 
flattened cling, flavor not very striking, quality medium to good. This*plum 


is beautiful, but not of high quality. (See Fig. i.) 


Ce 
ote ee 
SY 
oy 
wy WS \\ 
\\s 
L 


AN 


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at x 
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2. APPLE. CHALCO. 


APPLE, Burbank, New Creations, 1898, p. 2. 

A hybrid seedling of the second generation. ‘‘No doubt Satsuma and 
probably Robinson are in its line of ancestry.” This would mean P. ¢rzflora 
X P. angustifolia. 

Fruit spherical to oblate, large, cavity medium deep gently rounded, stem 
short, suture faint, color deep reddish purple. Foliage large and thrifty, 
leaves 43 inches long, rather narrow oval, tapering below and somewhat 


abruptly pointed above, margin finely glandular crenulate. (See Figs. 2 & 3.) 


HYBRID PLUMS. f 


BARTLETT, Burbank in Van Deman, Rural New Yorker 57, p. 658, 
September 24, 1898. 


Delaware crossed with Simon; that is Prunus treflora X P. stmont. 


Fruit ovoid, size medium, cavity deep rounded, stem medium length, 
rather slender, suture evident, apex pointed, color dark red, dots many yel- 
lowish, bloom white, skin thin, flesh soft and yellow, stone large. The flavor 
is said to be very fine, closely resembling that of a Bartlett pear, whence the 
name. Mr. Burbank says “the tree grows perfectly upright, like a Lombardy 
poplar, with very glossy leaves, very productive.” 


BESTOVALL, 7. V. Munson, unpublished. 


Described as a hybrid of Miner pollinated with Abundance, which would be 
P. hortulana* X P. triflora. J have seen only the foliage which is much 
like Miner, showing no Triflora characters. 

Leaves large, coarse, rough, 
with a tendency toward a faint 
pubescence on the veins under- 
neath, broadly oval, blunt point- 
ed, base strongly rounded, 
margins coarsely double serrate, 
glandless, petioles strong, with 
one or two small glands. Mr. 
Munson describes the fruit as 
“very late, fair size, firm meaty 
fine, sure and prolific.” 


BLACKMAN, Van Deman, Rpt. 
U.S. D. A. 1886, @. 261. 


Thought to be a peach-plum 3. APPLE. 
hybrid. The evidence of hybrid- 
ity lies in the sterility of this variety and in its somewhat intermediate char- 
acters. This is further strengthened by comparison with Mule of J. W. 
Kerr, which see, page 17. 

The variety is of no interest except as a curiosity. A full account of it may 
be found in U. S. D. A. Rpt. 1886, p. 261; also in same reports, 1887, p. 636; 
also in Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 38, (1892) p. 40. 


BRECK, /. 7. Ramsey, unpublished. 


Thought to be a hybrid of Japanese stock with American, perhaps of 
Kelsey pollinated with Wildgoose. From an examination of the leaves only 
I hesitate to form an opinion as to its parentage. 


*For convenience of discussion the name Prunus hortulana is retained here, though it 
is understood not to represent an independent species. See page 22. 


8 BULLETIN 67. 


The leaves are medium large, rather broadly oval, blunt pointed, abruptly 
tapering below, margins finely crenulate with many conspicuous small glands, 
(see page 20), petiole short, usually glandless. 

Mr. Ramsey writes that Breck originated in the orchard of Joseph Breck, 
of Texas. This variety will probably be introduced during 1899, 


Bursoto, 7heo. Williams, unpublished. 


Said to be a hybrid of Burbank with DeSoto, which would be Prunus tri- 
flora X P. americana. ‘The tree and foliage are so strongly Americana in 
character that the variety may best be classed there unless the fruit, which I 
have not seen, shows distinct Japanese characters. 

Leaves very Americana-like in character, though rather thin and soft, large, 
round oval, pointed above and rounded below, glabrous above, rather rough- 
ly tomentous over the entire lower surface, margin coarsely deeply irregu- 
larly doubly-jagged toothed, petiole strong, with one or two glands. 


CEL, Burbank, unpublished. 


Said by Mr. Burbank to be Myrobalan X Wickson; “a tri-specific hybrid.” 
The fruit strongly suggests Prunus americana parentage, which would make 
the pedigree of this variety as follows: P. cerastfera X P. triflora X P. 
americana. Or if we take the view of Wickson suggested on page 21, the 
parentage of Cel would be 
P. cerasifera X P. triflora 
X P. simont. | 


Fruit egg-shaped, medi- 
um size, rounded cavity, 
stem medium long and 
strong, suture indistinct, 
apex pointed, color bright 
transparent yellow, stone 
medium large, cling, flavor 
very Americana-like with- 
out astringency, quality 
good. Leaf quite Ceras- 
. ifera-like, somewhat cord- 
4. CHALCO. ate, rather sharply though 
finely double serrate. 


Cuatco, Burbank, New Creations, 1898, 7p. 4. 


Simon X Burbank; z. e. Prunus simonit X P. triflora. 

Fruit strongly oblate, much the shape and color of a tomato, large, 45 mm 
deep and 58 mm broad, cavity medium deep, gently rounded, stem short, 
suture medium deep, surface smooth, color dark red solid, dots many small 
indistinct, skin medium thick, flesh yellow firm and meaty, stone small oval 


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Bulletin 38. June, 1892. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 


THE CULTIVATED NATIVE 


Flums and Cherries. 


(= 
Wa ff (: Ma 


oe 
Migr 

ae "ion. 
Wlir~ dh LE, 


ARN 


By L. H. BAILEY. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 
ITHACA, N. Y 
1892. 


ORGANIZATION. 
BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 
STATION COUNCIL. 
. President, C. K. ADAMS. 
Hon. A. D. WHITE, : : : : Trustee of the University. 
Hon. O. B. POTTER, : : President State Agricultural Society. 
I. P. ROBERTS, ; 4 ; 3 Professor of Agriculture. 
G.C. CALDWELL, . : : : : Professor of Chemistry. 
JAMES LAw, ; : , ‘ Professor of Veterinary Science. 
Aa Se RN T1595") % ; é Professor of Botany. 
J: H. Comstock, : : ; : Professor of Entomology. 
L,. H. BAILEY, By thee oe . Professor of Horticulture. 
W. R. DUDLEY, os ; ‘ Ass’t Prof. Cryptogamic Botany. 
OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 

I, P. ROBERTS, : : é t ; Director. 

HENRY H. WING, : . Deputy Director and Secretary. 

BK. L. WILLIAMS, : , 3 Z ‘ Treasurer. 

ASSISTANTS. 

M. V. SLINGERLAND, : 3 Entomology. 

Gro. C. WATSON, ; : j A . Agriculture. 

L. C. CORBETT, : : : ‘ : Horticulture. 

G. W. CAVANAUGH, ; : : : . Chemistry. 


Offices of the Director and Deputy Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
Those desiring this Bulletin sent to friends will please send us the names 
of the parties. 


BULLETINS GE. 1392. 
38. The Cultivated Native Plums and Cherries. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 9 


only slightly flattened, nearly free, flavor sweet and sugary, quality extra, 
none of the peculiar Simon plum flavor. 


CHICRIGLAND, 7. V. Munson, unpublished. 


Described as a secondary hybrid, combining three species, viz.: Prunus 
chicasa X P. rivularis X P. glandutosa.* 


Fruit described by Mr. Munson as the size of Golden Beauty, fuzzy, rich 
orange red, stone rounded appearing wooly after removal of the flesh, flavor 
entirely distinctand agreeable. The tree is said to bea strong grower, with 
zigzag weeping branches. Leaves rather small, elliptical pointed, rounded 
or abruptly tapering below, rather thick, rough and harsh, margin finely 
glandular crenulate, petioles short and minutely glandular. 

Originated with T.V. Munson, Texas, from seed of a plum grown by 
F. M. Ramsay, Lampasas County, Texas. 


CLIMAX, Burbank, unpublished. 


Royal, Van Deman, Rural New Vorker, 57, (1898) p. 653. Mot Downing and 
others. 
Botan pollinated with Simon. Prunus triflora X P. simont. 

Fruit strongly heart- 
shaped, very large, as 
large as an ordinary 
peach, cavity deep and 
abrupt, stem short and 
strong, suture plainly 
marked but not deep, 
apex rounded, color 
deep dark red, many 
yellow dots large and 
small, skin thick firm, 
flesh yellow firm, stone 
large somewhat turgid. 
roughened, free, flavor 
sweet rich fruity, qual- 
ity fine. Season earli- 

5. CLIMAX. est. This is justly re- 

garded by Mr. Burbank 

as being one of his most valuable productions. If, upon extended test, it 
proves hardy, fruitful, and otherwise reliable, it will be an advance, in many 


respects, upon any plum now known. 


*This so-called Prunus rivularis undoubtedly represents the Wayland group of native 
plums, formerly classed with P. hortudanva. Yor a full discussion of the botanical technical- 
ities involved see F. A. Waugh, Notes on Sundry American Plums, Bot, Gaz. 26, (1898) 
p. 48. P.chicasa is a synonym of P. angustifolia, 


10 BULLETIN 67. 


CoLeus, /. .S. Breece, unpublished. 


Thought to be Kelsey X Pissard. Prunus triflora X P. cerasifera. If one 
may judge from the leaves alone this is a very well blended hybrid. 

Leaves medium to large, ovate, tapering at both ends about equally, deep 
rich red, glabrous above, a little fine pubescence along the midrib underneath, 
margin medium coarsely double serrate, petiole strong, with small glands. 


- 


Compass CHERRY, 7. Knudson, Minn. Horticulturist, April, 1896, p. 132. 


From Sand cherry pollinated by Miner plum. Prunus besseyi X P. hortu- 
lana. Undoubtedly a true hybrid. 


This cherry-plum, which I have seen only as hebarium specimens, is said 
to have a vigorous, upright-growing tree, the foliage is large, ovate, rather 
coarse, sometimes somewhat like the sand cherry but much coarser, fruit 
spherical or a little ellipsoid, about an inch in diameter, dark-red, of good 
quality. Is thought by some to be a valuable fruit, but has not been much 
planted. 

Originated by H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn., in 1894, and introduced 
by C. W. Sampson, Eureka, Minn., in the fall of 1897. 


6. EXCELSIOR. 


DANIEL WEEPING, J. L. Vormand. 


This tree which I have seen growing in the Cornell University orchards 
has the aspect of a hybrid, though no record of its origin is accessible, 
The tree is bushy spreading and drooping; leaves thick and tough, ovate, 
acute pointed, rounded at the base, finely and smoothly crenulate, petioles 
short and strong with 2-4 glands, stipules often present with younger 
leaves. 
Originated with Dr. Daniel, Louisiana. 


Hyprip Pius. . 11 


EXcELsIor, G. L. Taber, Cat. 1897. 


From seed of Kelsey pollinated by Wildgoose or DeCaradeuc, probably 
the former. This would be P. ¢riflora X P. hortulana. This variety 
is conspicuously a hybrid. Its characters suggest Wildgoose, though a 
comparison of the blossoming seasons of Kelsey, Wildgoose and DeCaradeuc 
in Florida would make it seem very likely that the pollen-bearing parent was 
DeCaradeuc. 

Fruit medium or large, flattened or a trifle pointed 
like Abundance, no suture, color deep solid wine-red 
with very minute almost invisible white dots and heavy 
light-bluish bloom, stem short, skin firm and without 
astringency, flesh firm yellowish, with reddish color toward 
the pit, stone flattened medium size cling, quality fine. 
Season June 15 in Florida, July 20 in Maryland. 

Tree vase form with long slender branches; leaves 
rather large moderately narrow oval, tapering above, taper- 
ing or somewhat rounded at the base, glabrous, margin 
finely irregular crenulate with prominent but minute 
glands, petiole rather short with 1-3 small glands; flowers 
small, scattered, white. 

Originated by Geo. L. Taber, Glen St. Mary, Fla., 
in 1887. A very promising plum. 7. EXCELSIOR. 


FOREWATTAMIE, Zheo. Williams, unpublished. 


A hybrid between Forest Garden and Pottawattamie, which is Prunus 
americana X P. angustifolia. The foliage and young growth give strong ev- 
idence of an unusually equal blending of the two species. I have not seen 
the fruit. 

Leaves oval tapering at the point and rounded at the base, thin, irregu- 
larly double serrate with blunt teeth and inconspicuous glands, slightly 
tomentous on the veins along the back, petiole rather long and slender, 
usually with 2-3 small glands. In general the foliage has a softened Miner- 
like look. 

Originated with Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb. 


GARNET, ./. S. Breece in S. L. Heiges, Rpt. Pomologist, 
iS?) Do A. 1895, pe ao, 


Kelsey X Pissard? Kelsey seed. This would be P. ¢riflora X P. cerasifera. 
The account of its origin given by Heiges (loc. cit.) is as follows: “Came 
up in spring of 1891 under a Kelsey tree. . . . Its characteristics indi- 


cate that it is a chance cross between Pissard that grew near, and the Kel- 
sey under which it grew.” This evidence does not seem to have much value of 


12 HYBRID PLUMS. 


itself.* I have specimens of the foliage, but not having seen the tree and 
fruit I must, for the present, consider this variety subject to removal from 
the list of hybrids. 

Heiges gives the following description of the fruit: ‘ Roundish oval 
large smooth dark garnet red, dots minute russet, bluish bloom, cavity 
small regular, of medium depth, flaring, marked with blue bloom, stem short, 


of medium caliper, suture very shallow and almost obscure, skin thin moder- 


ately tenacious bitter, stone medium size oval cling, flesh yellowish trans- 
lucent, stained with red on one side, mild almost sweet, good. Season June 
25 to 30,” [in North Carolina]. Leaves sent me by W. A. Taylor from the 
United States Department of Agriculture are round oval quite broad, ab- 
ruptly tapering above, tapering or rounded below, roughly double serrate 
slightly glandular margins, glabrous above, slightly tomentous on the mid- 
nerve underneath, petiole short and stout, with inconspicuous glands or 
glandless, large feathery deciduous stipules. 


8. GOLDEN. 


GOLDEN, Lurbank, New Creations 1893, p. 17. 
Gold of Stark Bros. Cat. 1896. 


Robinson X Botan, Robinson seed, z. ¢., Prunus angustifolia X P. triflora. 

Fruit round or oblate, medium to large, cavity medium deep rounded, 
stem short, no suture, color bright golden yellow overlaid when fully ripe 
with a fine pink blush, very pretty, dots many yellow very dim, bloom thin 
white, skin thin but strong, flesh rather soft and watery, yellow, stone medium 
or small oval but little flattened, strongly keeled, cling, flavor sprightly, quality 


*Several cases have come to light in which hybridity has been suspected on the evi- 
dence of reddish colored foliage. But red leaved seedlings occur rather frequently with- 
out any possible antecedent cross. They are especially common from Kelsey, though not 
rare from other Japanese varieties. Pissard itself is probably only another such Rot 
and J. W. Kerr has produced a red-leaved seedling from DeCaradeuc, 


BULLETIN 67, 13 


good. Season July 15 to Aug. 1. Tree dwarfish, rather Chicksaw-like in 
general appearance, leaves small or very small, narrow oval, tapering above, 
tapering or unequally rounded at base, the upper surface 
glabrous, slightly tomentous underneath especially along 
the veins, margins irregularly dull crenulate glandular, 
petiole short rather stout with 2-3 small glands. 

The Chicksaw parentage preponderates in this. variety, 
as in many others of its class. The characters which are 
not plainly Chicksaw are mostly anomalous, there being 
very little apparent evidence of Japan parentage. An 
interesting variety and worth a trial. 

‘This variety has sometimes been confused with Juicy, 
but the two are altogether distinct, as.may be seen from 
a comparison of the figures and descriptions here 
given. 

9. GOLDEN. Mr. Burbank has sent me several very promising seed- 
lings of Golden. 


GONZALES, /. 7. Ramsey, Cat. 1897. 


Of unknown parentage, but undoubtedly a hybrid. It is probably a combi- 
nation of Prunus trifora with P. hortulana or P. angustifolia. 


10. GONZALES. 


Fruit large, about the size and shape of Burbank, nearly spherical, some- 
times a little irregular, and occasionally slightly pointed, bright wine red in- 
distinctly striped and splashed with deeper crimson, with many small yellow- 
ish dots, bloom white, skin moderately thick and firm, not harsh nor astring- 
ent, flesh rather firm and meaty, light red sweet and pleasant, stone medium 
size oval flattened cling, quality first rate. See fig. 10. Leaves narrow 


14 BULLETIN 67. 


oval tapering almost equally at both ends, margin finely crenulate and 
minutely glandular, surface glabrous above, a few small fine hairs on the 
mid-nerve at the back, petiole rather short and slender with usually two 
small glands. 

Originated in Gonzales, Texas, about 1894. A very promising plum. 


TL. JULeY. 


GOVALLE, /. 7. Ramsey, Cat. 1898. 


Thought to be a Japanese-Chickasaw hybrid. Appearances indicate the 


correctness of this view. 


Fruit large, dark wine red, with indistinct stripes of yellow showing 
through, many small yellow dots, skin thin, stone medium large oval slightly 
flattened, cling. 

Originated with Mr. Jos. Breck, Texas, and named after the old Mexican 
grantee of the land on which the original tree grows. Introduced by F. T. 
Ramsey in 1898. 


HOLLAND, W. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 
From Kelsey seed, supposed to be crossed with Lonestar. This would be 
Prunus triflora X P. angustifolia. Probably a true hybrid. 


Fruit size and form of Abundance, greenish yellow splashed with red, 
flesh moderately firm and juicy, vinous, adheres slightly to stone. Season 
late June, in Texas. 


a 


- HYBRID PLUMS. 15 

Tree vigorous of rather compact stocky habit, leaves medium large, ovate or 

lanceolate, tapering at both ends, thin flat and glabrous, margins finely 

glandular serrate, petioles medium with occasional 
small glands. 


Originated by D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


Juicy, Burbank, New Creatzons 1893, p. 20. 


A seedling of Robinson pollinated with Botan. 
Prunus angustifolia X P. triflora. 


Fruit irregularly ellipsoid, medium size, cavity me- 
dium deep rounded, stem medium long strong, color 
clear yellow, many indistinct white dots and a thin white 
bloom, skin thin, bloom thin white, flesh yellow, rather oe 
soft and watery, stone medium large flattened pointed one 
cling, quality fair to good. Season last of July. Tree eas. Ae ay 
a strong rampant upright grower; leaves medium to i bs 
large, ovate, taper pointed, rounded at the base, glab- i‘ ed 
rous, margins finely serrate, petiole rather short with ly 
small glands. y 

Introduced by John Lewis Childs in 1894. Not 
to be confused with Golden, which see. 


—--7 | 
ae 5 
Serra. ae u 
gn. 


ve as 
Ng 
Se a ees 
ay alee 


LZ FOLCY. 


KELSEY 1, KELSEY 2, KELSEY 3, 7heo. Williams, in 
Cat. J. W. Kerr 1898, p. 18. 


All said to be hybrids from Kelsey seed crossed with Early Cherry,— 
Prunus triflora X P. cerastfera. 
I have seen only foliage and nursery trees of these varieties. The foliage 


strongly suggests a hybrid origin. They have not yet been tested. Origin- 
ated with Mr. Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb. 


K. P. 193. Purple-leaved hybrid plum. Axurbank, New Creations 1893, Z. 16. 
- This is another purple leaved seedling of Kelsey, the coloring of the leaves 
being the chief evidence of accidental pollination by Pissard. As mentioned 
elsewhere this does not seem to make a very strong case. This variety was. 


never sent out, and Mr. Burbank now says that he has many other varieties - 
which excel it. . 


Lannix, /. S. Breece,in S. B Heiges, Rpt. Pom. U.S. D. A. 1895, p. 45. 
Thought to be a cross of Abundance and Wildgoose. The following des-- 
cription from Heiges (loc. cit.) plainly suggests Wildgoose, but does not. 
indicate the participation of Abundance. 
“Fruit oval, medium size, color coppery red, a little darker than Wildgoose,, 
dots minute light russet, bloom light blue, cavity medium size round deep 
abrupt, stem short, suture very shallow, skin thin tenacious bitter, stone 


16 BULLETIN 67, 


large oval cling, flesh yellowish translucent slightly fibrous, flavor mild sub- 
acid rich® quality good. Season [in N. C.] June 20-25.” Leaf rather large, 
oval, pointed, rounded at the base, rather leathery in appearance, smooth 
on both sides, margin finely crenulate-serrate, glandless, petiole short and 
stout, usually glandless. 


LATE Conicat. Lurbank, unpublished. 
Prunus triflora X P. simont. 


Fruit strongly conical, rather large, cavity shallow abrupt, stem short, 
suture shallow, color red and 
purplish over yellow, dots many 
large yellow, bloom heavy 
purplish, skin medium _ thick, 
flesh yellow solid firm, stone 
medium size flattened pointed 
free, flavor sweet and agreeable, 
quality superfine. The finest 
quality of any plum yet exam- 
ined, though Mr. Burbank thinks 
this is not a fair comparison. 
Tree a rapid grower, form of 
Burbank. Leaves medium to 
large, broadly oval, abruptly 
pointed, tapering at the base, 
rather stiff, margins rather 
coarsely double crenulate, petiole large, set with glands. 


13. LATE CONICAL. 


‘Louisiana, Bailey, Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 139, (1897) Z. 377. 
Probably Prunus triflora X P. hortulana or P. angustifolia. 


Fruit irregularly ovoid, medium to large, cavity shallow rounded, stem 
medium, visible suture, color greenish overlaid with dull red, dots many 
large whitish, bloom thick white, skin medium thick, flesh yellow stringy, 
stone large oval flattened cling, flavor sprightly subacid good, quality fair. 
Season Sept. 1. Tree a slender and spreading grower, strongly sug- 
gesting Wildgoose, leaves medium size, tapering at both ends, very finely 
glandular crenulate, glabrous, petioles glandular. This variety has the bad 
habit of ripening unevenly and dropping from the tree before maturing. 
It has proved hardy thus far at Ithaca, N. Y. 


MANKATO, SS. D. Richardson & Son, 1890. 


This variety is said to have been grown from seed of German Prune, and 
was thought to be a hybrid because its characters are purely Americana. Its 
hybridity may be regarded as very doubtful. Meanwhile it is properly 
classed in the Americana group, and not among the hybrids. 


~ 


HYBRID PLUMS. 17 


MARIANNA. 


Supposed by Bailey (Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 38, p. 32), tobe possibly a 
hybrid between the Myrobalan and some American plum, possibly Wild- 
goose. This supposition is more fully discussed on page 23 of this bulletin. 
The variety is so well known that it need not be described here. 


MARYLAND, /. W. Kerr, Catalogue 1896. 
A seedling of Utah Hybrid, which see. Prunus watsoni X P. besseyt. 


Fruit round or slightly ellipsoid, small, dark red or maroon, stone medium 
size pointed cling. Season July 15-25, [in Md.] Leaves large oval pointed, 
rounded at the base, thickish, harsh, smooth above, tomentous below, mar- 
gin irregularly crenulate and minutely glandular, petiole short strong, with 
2-3 prominent glands. 

Of no value in the orchard. 


MINNIE, /. S. Breece, unpublished. 


Probably Abundance pollinated with Wildgoose. Prunus triflora X P. 
hortulana. 


Leaf very much like Abundance, large, slightly obovate, abruptly pointed, 
rounded at the base, smooth on both sides, margin irregularly double-crenu- 
late-serrate, with occasional small glands, petiole short and stiff, with several 
glands. 


MONOLITH, /. S. Breece, in S, B. Heiges, Rpt. Pom. U.S. D. A. 1895, p. 46. 


“It appears to be intermediate between Botan [Abundance] and Wild- 
goose.” This variety has exactly the same standing as Lannix, and like that 
variety appears from the description to show strong Wildgoose characteris- 
tics without a corresponding balance of Japanese marks. 

Heiges describes the fruit as follows: “Roundish, slightly conical, medium 
size, bright coppery red with longitudinal stripes of darker red, dots numer- 
ous minute russet, bloom profuse pale blue, cavity medium in size and depth, 
round flaring, stem slender, suture very shallow, skin thin tenacious bitter, 
stone medium size oval semi-cling, flesh yellowish translucent, meaty tender 
juicy, s mewhat fibrous, flavor mild subacid rich, quality good to very good. 
Season July 15 [in N. C. | 


MULE, /. W. Kerr, Catalogue, 1896. 


Troth Early peach crossed on Wildgoose plum. An authentic hybrid. 

Tree with very much the form of Wildgoose plum, but looking more like a 
peach on account of the peach-like foliage. Twigs and leaves quite peach- 
like, the latter, however, rather broader and stiffer than peach leaves, sharply 
tapering at the point, rounded at the base, margin sharply and irregularly 
appressed glandular crenulate, petiole short and stiff, with three to six 


18 BULLETIN 67. 


glands. The tree forms flower buds which never blossom. They contain 
deformed anthers but no pistils. The variety is therefore perfectly sterile. 


Nikko, Burbank, Special Circular, Sept. 1, 1898. 
Syn. Apple, by mistake in a few cases. 


Parentage unknown, but probably Satsumaon one side. I have not had 
the opportunity to examine this variety, which is characterized as a good 
dark red, red-fleshed, conical plum. 


PENDENT. 7heo. Williams in J. W. Kerr, Cat. 1898, d 19. 


Said to be from seed of Pottawattamie pollinated by Forest Garden. This. 
would be P. angustifolia X P. americana. I have seen only the leaves, and 
these seem to be intermediate between the supposed parents. 

Leaves medium large, long ovate, taper pointed, rounded at the base, 
rather stiff and harsh, especially harsh on the under side, margin medium 
finely double serrate with an occasional minute gland, petiole slender, 
usually with two small glands. 

Originated with Theo. Williams, Benson, Nebr. 


PENNOCK, Chas. E. Pennock, unpublished. 


From seed of Rocky Mountain Cherry thought to be pollinated with (Moore’ e 
Arctic. This would be Prunus besseyt X P. domestica. 

The meager specimens which I have examined show a preponderance of 
P. besseyz characters, but also suggest P. domestica in some respects. 

Mr. Pennock describes the fea as follows: ‘‘ Nearly round, about an inch 
in diameter, deep blue in color with a bloom, having a slight suture, flavor 
between a plum and cherry, excellent to eat out of hand or for preserves or 
canning; tree of dwarfish growth, but upright. Was raisea from seed 
planted in 1893.” The leaves are medium size, ovate, tapering at both ends,. 
rather coarsely serrate, flat and thickish, with some fine tomentum on either 
side, petiole short and stiff, occasionally a small gland at the base of blade.. 
The stone is small, round, and cherry-like. 

Mr. Pennock, Fort Collins, Colo., the originator, says he now has Early 
Richmond cherry and Arctic plum growing nicely on the same stock of this 
variety. He has thus far found it a very useful stock for plums. 


PRESERVER, W.. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 


Probably a cross of Kelsey with Early Red, Kelsey seed. This would be 
Prunus triflora X P. angustifolia 


Fruit dark red, flesh red tirm. Season June [in Texas] Tree vigorous, 
compact, leaves small, lance-ovate tapering at both ends, thin flat and 
glabrous, margins finely glandular serrate, petioles rather short and slender 
with occasional small glands. 

Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 19: 


RAGLAND, W. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 


Probablya hybrid; from Kelsey seed supposedly pollinated by Yellow 
Transparent; i. e., Prunus triflora X P. angustifolia. 


Fruit large roundish clear golden yellow, flesh juicy melting. Season 
June, in Texas. A vigorous, compact upright grower, leaves medium 
size, slightly obovate pointed, tapering at the base, thin smooth glossy, 
margin finely glandular serrate. 

Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


Rupsy, /. S. Breece, unpublished, 


Supposed to be Botan [Abundance] pollinated by Wildgoose. Prunus 
triflora X P. hortulana. 


Leaf medium size, oval, pointed, tapering or slightly rounded at the base, 
rather stiff and harsh, margin finely and irregularly crenulate, petiole medium. 
length, stiff and strong, with small glands. I have not seen the fruit. 


SCRIBNER, J. S. Breece,in S. B. Heiges, Rpt. Pom. UV. S. D. A. 1895, p. 46. 


“ Considered a probable cross of the Wildgoose on Botan” [ Abundance. | 
This plum falls into exactly the same category as Lannix, which see. 

This fruit is described by Heiges (loc. cit.) as follows: ‘“Roundish oval 
large, bright crimson, dots numerous minute russet, bloom pale bluish, cavity 
medium size deep flaring, stem short slender, suture shallow, skin medium 
thick slightly bitter, stone medium size oval cling, flesh yellowish translucent 
tender melting juicy somewhat fibrous, mild subacid, quality good. Sea- 
son, early July [in N. C.]” 


Sirocco, /. S. Greece, in S. B. Heiges, Rpt. Pom, UV. S. D, A. 1895, p. 47. 
Said to be ‘“‘a probable cross of Botan [ Abundance] and Marianna.” 


The fruit is described by Heiges (loc. cit.) as follows: “Roundish oval, 
medium size, coppery red under streaks of yellow, dots minute light russet, 
bloom light blue, cavity small, very shallow, abrupt, stem short slender, 
suture a trace, skin thin, stone medium size, oval, flesh reddish yellow near 
the skin and yellow near the stone, fine grained, very juicy, sweet subacid, 
quality good. Season middle July [in N. C.]” 


SopuHlik, /. W. Kerr, Cat. 1894. 
This variety was introduced as ‘“‘a seedling of Wildgoose, supposed to be 
crossed with German Prune.” It appears, however, to belong properly in 
the Wildgoose group, where Mr. Kerr now classifies it. 


BULLETIN 67. 


20 


YATES. 


HOLLAND. 


BRECK. 


PRESERVER, 


HYBRID PLUMS. 21 


Uran Hysrip, (Cherry), J. 2. Johnson. 
Prunus utahensts, Dieck in Dippel, Laubholzkunde 3, p. 634 (1893). 


Bailey decided in 1894 that ‘‘all botanical evidence goes to show that this 
plant is a hybrid of Prunus besseyt [the Rocky Mountain dwarf cherry] and 
the Sand plum, P. watsonz,’’ and he gave the following botanical details 
bearing out this supposition.* 

The Black Utah Hybrid cherry originated with J. E. Johnson at Wood 
River, Nebraska, on or near the Platte river, probably sometime in the sixties. 
Mr. Johnson grew native dwarf cherries and sand plums in his garden. 
Seeds of these cherries were sown. One of the seedlings was saved and 
propagated. Mr. Johnson soon afterward moved to Utah, whence, it ap- 
pears, he distributed this variety as the Utah Hybrid cherry. 

Plant dwarfish, 3-4 ft. high, twigs somewhat zigzag like P. watsonz 
leaves small, narrow orate, pointed at both ends, somewhat conduplicate and 
a trifle rough, margins crenulate, glandless, petioles niedium short, occasion- 
ally with small glands, fruit smail, spherical, cherry-like, but with a plum-like 
bloom, stone round cherry-like. 

This hybrid has not proved to be of any practical value, except perhaps in 
rare circumstances. One of the best of the class is Mr. Kerr’s seedling, 
Maryland, which see. 


Watson, W. A. Yates, Circular, 1897. 


Probably a hybrid; from Kelsey seed, thought to be pollinated by Lonestar. 
This would be Prunus triflortia X P. angustifolia. 


Fruit large, rather pointed, red when fully ripe, flesh yellow, juicy, melt- 
ing, adhering slightly to the pit, which is small. Tree vigorous, of some 
what open habit, leaves medium to large, ovate-lanceolate, taper pointed, 
tapering or slightly rounded at the base, thin and glabrous, margins finely 
serrate with minute glands, petiole short, sometimes with small glands. 
Said by the introducer to be very prolific and valuable. 

Originated with ‘D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


WICKSON, Burbank. 


This variety has always been classified as a Japanese plum, and the origin- 
ator, Luther Burbank, says that it has grown from Burbank seed pollinated 
by Kelsey. But Baileyt has expressed a suspicion that Prunus simon en- 
tered into the parentage of this variety,—a suspicion which is so strong in 
my own mind that I do not hesitate to classify it as a hybrid. (See remarks 
on the classification of hybrids, page 24). Tree, foliage and fruit all partake 
of the characteristic marks of the Simon plum; and whatever its real parent- 
_ age may be, the variety can be well described as intermediate between Kel- 
sey and Simon. 


*Cornell Exp, Sta. Bul. 70, (1894) p. 263. 
+Corneil Exp, Sta. Bul, 139, (1897), p. 381. 


29, BULLETIN 67. 


YaTEs, W. A. Vates, Circluar, 1897. 


Probably a hybrid; from Kelsey seed thought to be pollinated by Lonestar. 
This is Prunus triflora X P. angustifolia. 


Very much like Holland, from which we need not distinguish it here. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Brenham, Tex. 


2. ON CERTAIN GROUPS OF HYBRIDS. 


Besides the varieties already named and described and which are mostly 
the intentional or unintentional products of cultivation, there are certain 
large groups of hybrids occurring in nature. This subject has been so fully 
discussed elsewhere that it is unnecessary to go into it in detail here.* It 
will be sufficient now to say that, in the view of certain plum students at 
least, the Hortulana plums, consisting of three large groups,—the Wildgoose, 
the Wayland and the Miner,—are to be regarded asa great family of hy- 
brids. On purely speculative grounds we may assume that the Wildgoose 
group is the result of various primary crosses between the wild Prunus 
americana and P. angustifolia, and that the Miner group represents secondary 
crosses between the Wildgoose group and the Americanas. With some- 
what less certainty we may assume that the Wayland group has arisen from 
crosses of P. augustifolia with the southern form of the Americana plum, 
P. americana mollis. 

These assumptions are in a fair way to be proved or corrected by experi- 
mental evidence. As soon asa sufficient series of Americana-Angustifolia 
hybrids are produced in cultivation they may be compared with the existing 
varieties of the three groups in question in the expectation of interesting 
revelations. It must be admitted thatthe few Americana-Angustifolia hy- 
brids now known do not confirm the hypothesis set forth above. . In figure 
15 will be seen tracings from the leaf margins of Forewattamie and Pendent, 
both hybrids of this class, compared with their specific parents. One is 
struck at once by the intermediateness of character exhibited by the hybrids.. 
But if one compares the margins of Forewattamie and Pendent with that of 
Wildgoose, shown in fig. 16 resemblance fails. Wildgoose, judged by leaf 
margin alone, is much nearer the Chicasaws than the Americanas, while the 
primary hybrids, Pendent and Forewattamie, are approached most closely by 
certain varieties of the Wayland group. It might be said however that some 
varieties of the Wildgoose group have leaf margins less Chicasaw-like than 
Wildgoose. This is a complicated subject, and well worth separate treat- 
ment, but we cannot go into it further here. 


*These discussions may be found in Vt. Exp, Sta. Rpt, 10, (1897), p. 105; Garden and 
Forest 10, (1897), 340; Botanical Gazette, 26, (1898), p. 50. See also Bailey, Evolution of 
our Native Fruits, (1898) p. I95. 


HYBRID PLUMS. 23 
* 

The Marianna with certain similar plums comes up for consideration in 
this connection. Bailey* has given special study to Marianna and DeCara- 
deuc, and has concluded that the former is possibly a hybrid between the 
Myrobalan plum, Prunus ceraszfera, and some native sort, perhaps Wildgoose, 
and that DeCaradeuc is pure Myrobalan. This conclusion has recently been 
reiterated.+ There are several varieties of this group which Bailey has not 
studied. Among these I have notes on Brill. Frostproof, Hattie, Hogg, and 
Tarleton. These are all plainly related to Marianna, but they are all, with the 
possible exception of Hattie, to be readily referred to Prunus cerasifera. While 
I have not given this group the detailed study which I hope to devote to it at 
some future time, my present belief is that none of the varieties mentioned is 
to be regarded as a hybrid, except, perhaps, Marianna. This seems to me 
to be probably a Myrobalan-Chicasaw hybrid. 

It is very instructive to note how the horticultural hybrids now run in 
groups. Mr. Williams of Nebraska has a group of Triflora-Cerasifera hy- 
brids; Mr. Ramsey in Texas has a little family of Triflora-Hortulana hybrids ; 
Mr. Breece in North Carolina has a similar series; while the late D. H. 
Watson of Texas, produced a very homogeneous group of Triflora-Angusti- 
folia crosses. Even among the multifarious productions of Mr. Burbank one 
can not fail to be struck by the pre-eminent conspicuousness of the Simoni- 
Triflora hybrids.{ Hybrid plums seem to go in flocks, like wild ducks. 

This fact is very suggestive. In the first place it encourages the plum 
breeder, for he may always expect a good quantity of material from which to 
select. In the second place, remembering that most of these hybrids have 
come from accidental cross-pollination, we are taught that crossing in the 
orchard is very common. Where varieties of the same blossoming season 
are planted together their mixture is almost certain. It remains only to 
save the pits and grow the seedlings. The chance of securing hybrid varie- 
ties is always good. 


*Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 38, (1892), p. 32. 
¢Evolution of our Native Fruits, (1898), p. 203. 


+A number of supposed hybrids grown by C. G. Bushnell. Centerbrook, Conn., and 
thought to be of Triflora~-Domestica and Triflora-native origin are noted in Rural New 
Yorker, 62, p. 626, Sept, 10, 1898, No further information concerning them is at hand. 


94 BULLETIN 67. 


Ill. HYBRIDITY AMONG PLUMS. 


1. TRUSTWORTHY EVIDENCES OF HYBRIDITY. 


There is a strong prejudice in almost all quarters against admitting the 


hybrid origin of any plant except upon the most indubitable evidence. This 
is a good, conservative, scientific principle, but it may be carried too far. It 
is rather a near sighted way of looking at the matter, though not uncommon, 
to think that careful hand-pollination of emasaculated blossoms, followed by 
painstaking rearing of the seedlings, furnishes the only basis upon which 
hybridity can be really certified. Weare taught by all our theories, and 
know from observation of the facts, that hand pollinations made with the 
greatest care give very uncertain results. The offspring when secured may 
resemble one parent alone, in which case the strong presumption is that the 
hybridization was a failure. That is the extrinsic characters of the plant are 
relied upon for the final proof of its parentage. 

This overturns at a stroke all our prejudices, but it puts the subject in its 
proper light. Onthe whole the practical horticulturist cares very little, 
whether a plant is a hybrid or not unless its visible characters show some 
evidence of its pluri-specific parentage. With plants occurring wild the 
distribution of a strange form is an important evidence of hybridity, as in 
the case of Prunus hortulana; and for a study of hybridity in general, au- 
thentic pedigrees are indispensable ; but for all practical, and for most scien- 
tific purposes, intermediateness of character is the only practicable and 
the most reliable test of hybridity. 

The greatest caution, however, must be exercised in following out this rule. 
It will not do to jump at conclusions in such an intricate matter. No one 
can determine at the first glance whether the characters of a new variety are 
drawn from several definable sources. It is often difficult to decide what the 
relationships of a given variety are, even after long study of all the charac- 
ters of plant, foliage, blossom, and fruit. It is a very serious problem to 
classify some varieties which belong to only one species! Before the pomol- 
ogist refers a new plum to two species he must give the evidence his most 


searching scrutiny. 


2. CLASSIFICATION AS AFFECTED BY HYBRIDITY. 


What has just been said leads directly to the matter of classification. The 
natural way to classify a hybrid is to name the parents from which it has 
sprung. But such a classification is misleading unless the hybrid variety 
partakes of the characters of the parents to which it is referred. To be sure 
it is quite possible that a hybrid may have sprung from two given parents 
and still show the characters of neither. And though this would be an im- 
portant fact, it is entirely aside from the matter of classification, and classifi- 
cation is of the greater importance. So that, whatever precautions may be 


HYBRID PLUMs. . 25 


necessary in studying the physiology of hybridity, the characterization and 
classification of hybrids depends on intermediateness of extrinsic characters 
alone. 

As a matter of fact this is the sole basis of classification anyway; for al- 
though many people assume physiological and genealogical characters in 
their definitions of species, they disregard everything but external charac- 
_ ters in species-making. Classification is, first of all, a systematic presenta- 
tion of apparent resemblances and differences. ttf 
It is necessary to dwell on 


ZZ 
Y this point here, for in the 
Z {7 classification of hybrids the 
typ GY temptation is especially 


strong to obscure the value 
of the plant’s visible attri- 
butes by bringing in divers 
irrelevant considerations. 

A hybrid, then, is to be 
classified by referring it to 
the several species whose 
characters it exhibits. But 
different hybrids of the same 
parentage may exhibit their 
several characters in various 
combinations or in different 
degrees. Itis the business 
of the pomologist to point 
out these different combina- 


AK 


AX 


WS 


\\\ 


\\ 


\ 


\ 


\\s 


AN 


WN 
AK 


\ 


1s. Leaf Margiin of Wyant, (representing Forest tions and degrees in his des- 
‘Garden), Pendent, Forewattamie and Pottawattamie. Gee : 
Pendent and Forewattamie are supposed hybrids be- ey Another ae 
tween Forest Garden and Pottawattamie, Magnified. lies in the fact that, in a 


single series of hybrids, one 
variety may strongly resemble one parent, while another resembles the other 
more particularly, and this leads to difficulty, because it soon presents an 
unbroken chain of intergradient forms reaching from one specific type to 
the other. This is quite true, but the plant classifier who insists on having 
missing links to mark off his groups would better keep out of horticulture 
altogether! 

This difficulty has already arisen in the classification of plums. It is 
especially exemplified in the great Hortulana tribe with its various subdi- 
visions. As these plums are now supposed to present a vast congregation 
of hybrids (see page 22), they offer a case directly in point. The present 
writer has already shown* that these varieties fall into a long and scarcely 


*See Vt. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 10, (1897), p. 104. Also Garden and Forest 10, (1897), p. 304. 


26 BULLETIN 67. 


broken series, which may be arbitrarily cut up into various subdivisions for 
convenience of study, though these subdivisions can never be separated from 
one another. 

A good classification, at least in such variable groups as those now under 
discussion, does not depend so much on the exactness with which boundary 
lines are traced as on the clearness with which certain dominant or central 
types are set forth. Thus we have the Wildgoose plum as the type of the 
Wildgoose group. This is something definite, tangible, though the bound- 
ary line between the Wildgoose group and the Chicasaws is quite as imagi- 
nary as that one which “‘passes around the earth midway between the poles.” 

The work of classifying plums thus falls into two parts. First one must 
fix in his mind certain definite types; and second, he must group the multitud- 

inous varieties about these types, 
Z, referring them to whatever type 
Zp or types they seem most to 


A resemble. 
Z This is the ideal method, but 
(QZ 


Z it is especially necessary in the 
Z classification 0 hybrids or of 
Z groups in which the ordinary 
joy, variations are very great. The 
ZF introduction of this new factor, 
ZF} the hybrid plums, into pomology 
Z does not introduce a new factor 
Zz into plum classification. No 
Y7 7, 
Y one need feel that all the pains 
, spent in recent years in arrang- 
ab ing horticultural varieties into 


16, Leaf Margins of Abundance, Scribner lists under sundry botanical 


Lannix, Minnie, Ruby: and Wildgoose. Abund- : : : 
ance and Wildgoose are the supposed parents of pe sotst he will be lost, or that ulti- 
the others. Note intermediate characters. mate and inextricable confusion 


awaits us. We need only; to 
keep more clearly in mind than before the ideal types which have been 
chosen, and if a given variety falls midway between two specific types{it 
will be understood best by calling it a hybrid of the species represented. 
It is very important to have this matter clearly understood now when arti- 
ficially produced hybrids are just beginning to come into notice. 


3. EXTENT AND LIMITS OF HYBRIDITY IN PLUMS. 


We have heard a great deal at one time and another about the limits of 
crossing between species and of the affinities of one species for others. If 
such limits and affinities exist, it is important that we should learn them. 
For their study no material is better than the results of experimental cros- 


HYBRID PLUMS. aC 


sings. And though the number of hybrids thus far brought to light is sadly 
small for such a generalization, the urgency of the demand for information 
on this point may execuse a hasty survey of the present data in the hope that 
some slight prevision of the truth may reward us. 

For this purpose the list of hybrids has been thorougly overhauled, those 
of very uncertain parentage have been thrown out, all those of parentage 
reaching outside the true plums have been discarded, and a few unpublished 
varieties have been added to those described on pages 5-22. The list so 
arranged numbered 30 varieties, of which the parentage is distributed as 
shown in the following table. For the purposes of this comparison Prunus 
hortulana is regarded as a separate species. 


TABLE SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF HYBRID PLUMS AMONG PARENT" 


SPECIES, 
ke 
S| 8 oa) iat: 
1 Sand SS — fas} = fas} 5 
SPECIES S a a = a = = 
Seiichi SS ae Pies 
3 i) a 8 8 & a 
A Ay Ay Ay Ay Ay ay 
P. domestica i 
P. cerasifera 5 1 
P. simoni 5 
P., triflora Bi Aaah! 5 5 16 5 1 
P. angustifolia 1 10 2 
P. hortulana 5 
P. americana 1 2 
Totals EES | 6 5 27 13 5 3 


As already indicated these thirty varieties.do not furnish an adequate 
basis for.generalization, but nevertheless some of the figures in the table are 
worthy of remark. The first thing which strikes the eye is the very large 
number of hybrids having Japanese pedigrees. Twenty-seven, or 90 per 
cent of the whole list, are referred to this species. One explanation of this. 
strange fact is that horticulturists have made special effort to secure Japanese 
hybrids, because they have felt that this line was one of unusual promise. But 
this is not the only reason. It seems fairly safe to conclude, even thus early, 
that the Japanese plums have a special affinity for the Chicasaws and for the 
closely related members of the Wildgoose group. 

Another fact of interest in the foregoing table is the reference of only one 
hybrid to Prunus domestica. There has been a belief for sometime preva- 
leht among fruit growers that the Domestica plums did not cross naturally 
with other species, and that hybrids were to be produced artifically only with 
extreme difficulty. This view is probably correct. The Americana plums also 


7 ~ 


a 


28 BULLETIN 67. 


seem to have less affinity for the other species with which they are usually 
cultivated than do the Chicasaws, Hortulanas and Trifloras. 

As to the absolute limits of possible cross-fecundation our ideas have 
been considerably extended. “It may be considered settled that crosses can 
be effected, under favorable conditions, between any two species of plums. 
What is much more remarkable is the unquestionable fact that several of the 
cherries may be crossed with the plums. In the Compass cherry Prunus 
besseyi has been combined with Miner, which stands very near to the Ameri- 
canas. Inthe Utah Hybrid P. besseyi has doubtless been united with P. 
watsoni. I have also had the opportunity to examine what seem to be satis- 
factory hybrids of Prunus subcordata X P. triflora and P. maritima X P. 
besseyi. Mr. Burbank last summer sent me two distinct and probably au- 


thentic hybrids between Satsuma plum and Belle Magnifique cherry. 


Theo. Williams of Nebraska is said to have a hybrid of Wildgoose plum with 
Dye House cherry. Orange’s Cherry-Plum, so-called, introduced to the 
trade a few years ago, and originating in Florida, is perhaps a cherry-plum 
hybrid. Henry A. Brainerd of California has also raised two or three 
trees which seem to be true plum-apricot hybrids; and two famous cases of 
plum-peach hybrids are on record (see Blackman and Mule, p. 7 and 17.) 
T. V. Munson of Texas has reported a number of hybrids o f Wildgoose 
plum with Alexandar peach.* 

These strange facts furnish food for reflection, and tend to make one cau- 
‘tious in his predictions. 

Another conclusion seems warranted from the facts thus far developed. 
This is that crossing in the plum orchard is altogether common. Thus we 
may depend on all sorts and species of plums for cross-pollination, and may 
expect to see great numbers of accidental hybrids brought to notice in the 
next few years. 


4. UTILITY OF THE SEVERAL SPECIES IN HYBRIDIZING. 


The introduction of accidental hybrids is likely to be supplemented in the 
immediate future by more extensive and systematic work in the production 
of hybrids by hand-pollination. This work is apt to be successful in propor- 
tion to the intelligence brought to bear on it. Any suggestions, therefore, 
.as to the value of the several available species in the production of hybrids 
may be acceptable, though, like the other generalizations of this bulletin, 
they are put forth in a tentative manner only. 

Prunus domestica.—This species is comparatively difficult to hybridize. It 
may be hoped, however, that it will give the very best of results. The solid, 
meaty flesh and the freestone character of leading Domesticas are especially 
‘desirable for combination with the higher flavor, better color, freer growth, 
healthier foliage, and other desirable qualities of native species. The writer 
looks with especial favor upon the combination of Domestica with Americana 
parents. 


 *Country Gentleman 51, (1886), p. 972. * 


HYBRID PLUMS. 29° 


Prunus cerasifera.—During the preparation of this paper a considerable 
number of hybrids of this species were examined. Several of them appeared 
to be of value, but on the whole this species is not to be regarded as a prom- 
ising one for use in hybridizations. 


Prunus simoni.—<The best of all the plums in hybridizing,” writes Mr. 
Burbank, and his results seem to justify him in the opinion. Although 
Prunus simoni itself is regarded by most horticulturists as a very worthless 
thing it seems to have a thoroughly respectable progeny. The peculiarly 
disagreeable taste which characterizes the parent seems never to be present 
in hybrid offspring. Instead one has a firm, meaty flesh, with a rich, sweet, 
sugary flavor. The size, color, and flesh of the Simon plum are all desir- 
able, and though it is hardly probable that other hybridizers will have the 
same success with this species that Mr. Burbank has had, it has nevertheless 
fully proved itself worthy of consideration. 


Prunus triflora.—The facility with which this species crosses with others, 
especially with P. angustifolia, has already been touched upon. The twenty- 
seven hybrids credited to it on page 27 form an interesting and important 
family. Crossing with the Chicasaws, however, seems inclined to give fruits 
with soft, stringy, watery flesh clinging to the stones. These are among 
the more undesirable characters of the Chicasaws, and might be wisely 
avoided by using other combinations. Although it is much more difficult to 
combine P. triflora with P. americana, the results are likely to prove much 
better. 


P. angustifolia.—This species is discussed in the preceding paragraph as 
regards its combination with P. triflora. It ought to be combined with 
varieties having firm, meaty flesh and free stones. 


P. hortulana.—The remark made in the paragraph above applies also 
to the Hortulanas. They are, however, to be regarded in general as more 
promising subjects of hybridization. They should be crossed with firm 
fleshed, free-stone sorts. 


P. americana.—The finest flavor known in plums belongs unquestionably 
to the Americanas. ‘The firmness of flesh and hardiness of tree are also 
qualities of paramount practical importance. Partly on account of their late 
blooming season, and partly perhaps onaccount of a lack of affinity for other 
species, they do not hybridize so readily in the orchard. For the same rea- 
sons they are not so convenient for the plant breeder. In spite of this they 
are among the most promising plums for the production of valuable hybrids. 

Other species may possibly give valuable varieties in some cases, but no 
particular attention need be given them in the present chaotic state of our 
knowledge. 


30 BULLETIN 67. 


5. PLUM-GROWING AS AFFECTED BY THE HYBRIDS. 


First of all let it be understood that the present discussion of hybrid plums 
is not a recommendation of them for orchard planting. No list of select va- 
rieties is given, and no single variety is awarded a general recommendation. 
No hybrid variety has yet shown its ability to take a place in commercial 
horticulture. No one has ever proved a right to a place in the family fruit 
garden. Several of the varieties described in this bulletin are of great inter- - 
est and some promise, and may well be planted by the amateur who loves to 
experiment with newthings. More than this cannot be said respecting the 
present value of the hybrid plums. 

The hybrid plums are discussed here for the fullness of the promise which 
they give of good things to come. It is the deliberate belief of the writer 
that the introduction of the hybrid plums marks an epoch in plum culture. 
The results promise to be even more abundant and far-reaching than those 
which have flowed from the hybridization of our native grapes. This is a 
strong comparison. 

It is fully determined that plum-cherry hybrids are possible. The produc- 
tion of a plum-cherry hybrid capable of cultivation on a commercial scale 
would be the most revolutionary event in the history of horticulture. 

Another possibility in plum hybridization, which it is yet too early to real- 
ize, is the selection of improved progeny from second, third, fourth, and 
subsequent generations of hybridized stock. It is a well known general 
principle that the immediate product of a cross-pollination is not so likely to 
give something desirable as are the seedlings of the second, third and fourth 
generations from this primary hybrid. ‘The hybridization ‘‘breaks the type” 
and gives a beginning to variation. Subsequent generations are likely to 
vary immensely, even without further crossing, and among these variations 
the plant breeder may expect to find his prizes. Mr. Burbank is the only 
plum breeder within my knowledge who has thus far acted upon this princi- 
ple. His early results are very encouraging. Already I have examined a 
number of second-generation seedlings of one of his best known hybrid vari- 
eties, among which several seem to be great improvements on the parent va- 
riety. Other groups of second and third generation hybrids which I have 
examined give equally gratifying impressions. 

Perhaps it would be well in closing to repeat the statement that, although 
we expect great things from the hybrid plums in the future, no known hybrid 
is herewith recommended for anything but experimental planting. 


REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 
By F. A. WauGH 


Two lines of work have chiefly occupied the horticultural department 
of the station during the year, (1) the study of orchard fruits suited to Ver- 
mont, and (2) the study of plums. Those experiments and investigations 
which are deemed worthy of report at this time are grouped in the follow- 
ing pages under these heads : 


Propagation of plums—Preliminary report. 
I. The problem presented. 
II. The teachings of experience. 
III. Results of nursery experiments. 
IV. Later notes. 


Further work in plum pollination. 
iy Studies of pollen. 
II. Malformation of blossoms. 
III. Transportation of pollen. 


The pollination of apples. 
ly Self sterility. 
II. Other considerations. 


The Myrobalan plums. 
i Historical notes. 
II. Present status. 
III. Variety notes. 


Plum tree canker. 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS—PRELIMINARY REPORT 
I. THE PROBLEM PRESENTED 


The named varieties of plums are always propagated either by grafting 
or budding. There are great numbers of these budded varieties, very dif- 
ferent from one another in external characters and cultural requirements, so 
that a method of propagation or a stock suited to one may be totally un- 
suited to another. A large number of very diverse kinds of stocks have 
been used, also; some of them adapted to one kind of plum and some 
to another. The extent of these diversities will appear better from the 
following considerations. 


334 REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


The cultivated varieties of plums show certain general differences suffi- - 
ciently marked to enable the pomologist to divide them into several groups. 
Each one of these types is so well marked that at some time it has been 
called a species by some botanist. The different distinct groups of this sort 
of which named varieties are propagated in North America are as follows : 
Domestica, Damson, Myrobalan, Japanese, Simon or Apricot plum, Ameri- 
cana, Nigra, Miner, Wayland, Wildgoose, Chicasaw, Sand plum, Beach 
plum, Pacific plum and the western Sand cherry’—fifteen in number, 
besides many hybrids. 

The different sorts of stocks which have been used for plums in Amer- 
ica are, so far as the writer’s knowledge goes, the following: Horse plum, 
(Domestica), St. Julien, (also Domestica) Myrobalan, Marianna, Jap- 
anese, Americana, Nigra, Wayland, Chicasaw, Sand plum, western Sand 
cherry, Choke cherry, Black cherry (Prunus serotina), peach and apricot,— 
fifteen in all. 

If each one of these fifteen different groups of plums was to be tested 
on each of these. fifteen sorts of stocks, as they might reasonably be, 
there would be 225 different combinations. The propagation of plums 
indeed has complications. 

Yet these complications have not yet been fully presented. Consider 
that each one of these 225 combinations may be made either by budding or 
by grafting, and you have 450 different cases to examine. Consider that 
one stock is suited to one soil and another stock to another, with each one 
of these soil adaptations to be determined ; consider that certain stocks 
thrive in certain climates and fail in others ; consider that the multitudin- 
ous varieties in the several groups named have not always the same prefer- 
ences ; consider that sundry practical exigencies in the nursery are often 
important factors in the selection of stocks; and you begin to get a view 
of the difficulties involved in determining what are the best methods of 
propagating plums. 

Fortunately or unfortunately, the data now available will not enable 
us to go into many of the intricacies here suggested. A great many of the 
combinations mentioned above have never been tried, and there is nothing 
to say for or against them. Those which have been tested, so far as known 
to the writer, are shown in the following tabulation : 


t The western Sand cherry, Prunus pumila besseyi, may be called either a plum or a 
cherry. It is usually handled with the plums by plum growers, hybridized with plums by 
hybridizers, and propagated on or under plums; so that it is almost necessary to deal with 


it in this article, 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 335 


TABLE SHOWING KNOWN COMBINATIONS OF PLUM STOCKS AND CIONS 


The asterisk shows that the corresponding combination has been made 


| | t 
| | 
PE) Be 
Sato tralec ee 8) 5] 8] 3 
For plum groups (cions) read down;| @/ © & 2 a) 2 B Soh 5 ee 
for stocks read to the right Gl Sat oleae) et ede ee Oro cing 
ei! 21 cl | OF El Blo] So] Sl ap ul eo og 
Shs Bt SRG Ree Sea oh Eee oe 
es a al al Sd] Z| F/O] al a] oO] Ria 
| | 
DRESS ICA aah a ee Biel * | * | * | x * * | # * * * 
MamNsots 2 se fe ot Se is 2 ae Re ANS ESB a 
MR rte a8 oS eed eRe Aree 5 
Japanese Ree aR TAN Ree ee I Se * (ae hee * * * * * * 
SOI or ey * [i * 
PeGICATIAT oo aoe eet ae oe 7S eck bail Reh ee * * 
Nigra ne. ee ee Cee * * * * |) * * fade PP * 
Maleate as ak Ma See ee kl Bo fee fe * 
CREE WiVG > eee: Cian ae ee eames Fale ce sl ed ” 
NUNC OOSe ees ek uy) Coe os ae Be “oF Ale ie rhc nae Ls | * 
ROniGasa Wee oo te Foe oe 5 ee ee * Ho ele [eer 
SHOE UdiieL ee PRs tee ae Bt ae ‘i e 
Bea Chm Unie 86 6, ma Male. Te Be Se * * a 
eeCMIGH ILI E 2) eee Se eee a ee ? 
SMC He LhY se 2 sek 223.22 Suet ool ae dik: Me | * 
\ 


Il. THE TEACHINGS OF EXPERIENCE 


Before taking up a detailed discussion of experiments, it will be best to 
give a brief summary of present knowledge of plum stocks and their com- 
binations with different kinds of cions. It will be most convenient to dis- 
cuss this from the standpoint of stocks. 

Horse plum, or Domestica stock.—The Horse plum is a variety of the 
Domestica group, inferior in fruit, but sturdy, and uniform ingrowth. It 
has been much used as a stock for Domesticas and Damsons, and is at the 
present time, regarded by many good nurserymen as the best practicable 
stock for plums of these groups. 

Besides the Horse plum, the miscellaneous seedlings of all sorts of 
Domesticas have been used for propagation; but their excessive variations 
in strength and habit of growth are against them. 

St. Julien.—This is another form of the Domestica plum, dwarfish, 
hardy and uniform ofgrowth. Ithas been extensively tested for Domes- 
ticas and Damsons; but is too slow growing for American nursery pur- 
poses. 

Myrobalan.—The Myrobalan plum is still extensively used for propa- 
gating in this country, great numbers of stocks and considerable quantities 
of the seed being imported from Europe every year. It has been most 
used for Domesticas, Damsons, Japanese and the many native American 
varieties. It seems suited to all, or nearly all, of these. It is, however, 

not perfectly hardy in the northern states and Canada, and this fact has 
put a limit to its usefulness. It is easily worked and a large percentage of 


336 


REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


It has some tendency to 


grafts or buds set on Myrobalan stocks ‘‘take.’’ 


This 


dwarf the varieties worked on it, especially those of strong habit. 
means that strong-growing varieties usually overgrow; and overgrowing is 


often a defect. 


7] 
\ 


AA) 


Ay 


f) 


if 


wu 


fi Got 
rh ba Hey 


ad 


14 


] SS rg N 
[sve wy aie 


On the whole, the use of the Myrobalan stock inthis coun- 


try is probably on the decrease. 


KELSEY ON MARIANNA 
Both cion and stock sprouting badly 


Fig, I. 


Marianna.—This is an offshoot of the Myrobalan plum, but commer- 
cially distinct, largely from the circumstance that it propagates very read- 


It has been very extensively used in this country for 
propagating all sorts of plums, but more especially in the south for Japan- 


ese, Hortulanas, Chicasaws and Wayland sorts. 


ily from cuttings. 


It has most of the advan- 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 


337 
tages of the Myrobalan, being suited to nearly all classes of plums 


batt 
has, however, the same defects as the Myrobalan, except perhaps that it 


is not quite so readily overgrown, and effort is being made by some nursery- 
man to find a substitute for both Marianna and Myrobalan 


/ 7 
1 ail Gk Va 3 
eens a ae kee Fe 3 
4 ae : as at eo 
; TN Y 4 te > Ne: iG s) - 
¥ NG a oS s i EN 
D> aR : S 


a 9 
‘ )7- aa . 
en . oh ‘Ss wy Ms, 
fyi) 28% /, 4 NS wane an? Nate ‘le ¥ EK 
| Hiss ib6 aie? te 


WO ye? ye oe 


ae 

a Wy 
Ky AWN 

ne 


asin eg | ge 


NIMON ON MARIANNA 


A good union 


Japanese.—Many horticulturists have felt that Japanese plums would 


be the best stocks for Japanese plums. Very small opportunity has offered 
however, for making the test. 


’ 
The writer has heard of several small ex- 
periments, without decisive results 


If Japanese plum stocks of any sort 
could be readily grown from cuttings, like the Marianna, it would be a long 


step toward their adoption in general nursery propagation. In a few in- 
stances this has been done, but neveron a commercial scale. There is 
every reason to believe that Japanese stocks will prove useful for Japanese 
plums, once there is found a way to grow the stocks cheaply; but it is 
fairly doubtful whether or not they will ever be useful for other classes of 
plums. 


338 ReEporT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


Americana.—The use of the native Americana plums as stocks hasgrown 
up in the northwestern states, and has been based on the demand for some- 
thing hardier than the stocks in common use. Americana seedlings are 
now grown inconsiderable quantities, and are used largely in a commercial 
way. They have proved well adapted to varieties of the Americana, Nigra, ~ 
and Miner groups; and have been freely used with apparently good results 
for other groups. Domesticas, however, seem to unite poorly with this 
stock. 


R mC 


ee ah So 
UK f Ga 
“Gy RS oy . & es 

Pa Le, = ee 4 


ae 


ocr 


Fig. 3. WESTERN SAND CHERRY ON MARIANNA 


A fairly good union 


Nigra.—In general the seedlings of Nigra varieties are grown indiscrim- 
inately with Americanas, so that separate observations are not available. 
For the most part the two kinds may be expected to behave alike. Domes- 
ticas and the eastern Sand cherry (Prunus pumila) have been tried on this 
stock at the Central experimental farm of Canada, with unfavorable 
results. A fairly good union resulted between the Domestica cion and the 
Nigra stock, but the cion overgrew strongly and finally died. The Sand 
cherry made a poor union. 

Wayland.—Mr. J. W. Kerr, of Denton, Md., who hardly needs to be 
described as an experienced and experimenting propagator of plums, has 
for several years practiced top-grafting all sorts of native plums on Golden 
Beauty (Wayland group) branches. He has had the best results. He has 
also grown seedlings of such varieties as Golden Beauty, Wayland and 
Moreman, and has root grafted on them. The results have been encourag- 
ing. 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 339 


Chicasaw.—In- some of the southern states the Chicasaw plums have 
occasioanlly been used as stocks, particularly for varieties of the Chicasaw 
and Hortulana groups. This stock has sometimes been recommended as 
being adapted to low, wet grounds in the southern states, but it is doubt- 
ful if this point is of much consequence. The one serious defect of the stock 
is its inveterate habit of sprouting, so that where one plants a plum on a 
Chicasaw stock he presently has a thicket of Chicasaws. 


——~—-— y a 
z ([ | BR m4 ft 
psy EB | . 


UU 


Hig. 4. SAND CHERRY ON MARIANNA 


= A fine ‘‘catch’’ and a first rate union 


Sand plum.—This dwarf western plum (Prunus angustifolia watson) has 
often been suggested as a stock for dwarfing other plums. A few experi- 
ments have been made with it, but no conclusions have been reached. 

Sand cherry.—The western Sand cherry (Prunus pumila besseyi has been 
tested to a considerable extent in the northwestern states. It is very hardy ; 
and this seems to be its chief claim to notice. It distinctly dwarfs the’ 
varieties worked on it. It is said by Craig and others to make a satisfac- 
tory union. The fact that the reciprocal graft with Marianna makes a good 


340 


REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


union, may be indicative of its affinity for some of the common plums. This 
is one of the most interesting of the experimental stocks. 


ae 
x <y \\ 


a 2G 3 
e Za i Le 
“oy, QD =n oe a 
x fy yh) 4p e ‘ = 
suntan, Z Vz _ctegsssaine 
NY, Sy : i ZA : Ng 
Guy, : He “oe fe ) 
i i i yi 


ners 
pe Dy, 


- 
ae 
s weet 
- nhs b} Tb abd 
p< PF imuynnnennye™ P 
< y 


Fig. 5.5 DOMESTICA ON NIGRA 
Badly overgrown—dead 


° 


Choke cherry.—This species has also been tried in a few cases as a stock 
for plums, but has never proved satisfactory. 


1 ‘‘ While the experiments under way in Iowa, South Dakota and other places have 


not continued long enough to determine fully its value, the present indications are (1) 
The roots are perfectly hardy in our worst winters. 


(2) The tree of Americana varieties 
will be dwarfed to perhaps two-thirds full size, but will bear very early. 


(3) For amateur 
culture in small gardens there is an excellent field for Americana plums on Sand cherry 


stocks, providing the trees will not need too much care in heading back to prevent getting 
top-heavy.’—WV. H. Hansen, in Am, Asso, Nurserymen Rpt, 1900, p. 56, 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 341 
Black cherry.—The common black cherry (Prunus serotina)*has also 
been tried ; and Mr. Kerr now has a few trees of Chicasaw varieties grow- 


ing on this stock. The union, however, is unpromising. 


ech RES 
\ EY NN KR \ if 
= \ \\ N\ 
et * AW Ys IS 
\ \ a i y, ; 
( & Ss / Ja 
—— F ae, 


+ My. 
SS We, 
pen y aa CP Sein 
ow 

G 


(ze 
5 \ 
= re. \ SM © 
\ PER Neteeen) Zaew 
4 ee X AY : ‘ 
A - Ss “» ak ¢ 
Ne) ) ke 
ad kv 


S 

a 
AS a 
es 


y 

NS 
& 
Pe 

a 


——— 


ee 
ANI iat) ce les 
\s 


a 


Fig. 6. SAND CHERRY ON NIGRA 


A poor union 


Peach.—Peach pits are always available at the canneries at a low price, 
the seeds usually germinate freely and the seedlings grow strongly. For 
this reason the stocks are almost always cheap. Many nurserymen have 
used them on that account. But they have certain real merits beyond their 

They unite well with many of the different classes of plums, 


cheapness. 
especially with the freer growing sorts, and more particularly with the 
The trees seem to be thrifty, healthy and long-lived, 


Japanese varieties. 


342 Report oF THE’ HORTICULTURIST 


In the case of plums propagated on peach roots, grafting is much better than 
budding, which is an empiricism of some interest. 

Apricot.—Apricots are extensively canned in some sections, especially 
on the Pacific coast ; and wherever they are canned the pits are of course 
available for growing for stocks. They have been used for plums to some 
extent ; but so far as the writer can learn, are somewhat inferior. 


=A ——— = =A s 
Ss : \ a 
es = A WS £ - 
SSS S cone = 
Z a S33 a = 2 
=X Zsa -S 
SS a ae < 


The stock, at the right, sprouting 
badly 


Besides the stocks mentioned here, several others have been tested in 
avery small way. The wild Bird cherry, Prunus pennsylvanica, has been 
tested somewhat, and gives some promise. In California the Pacific coast 
plum, Prunus subcordata, has been tried, but dwarfed the cions too much 
and proved unsatisfactory. 


III. RESULTS OF NURSERY EXPERIMENTS 


Experiments in the propagation of plums were begun by this station 
in the spring of 1899. Five varieties were propagated in four lots, each on 
four different stocks. The five varieties represented five distinct classes of 
plums—the most important groups in cultivation—and were as follows : 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS . 848 


je Stoddard, of the Americana group. 
II. Green Gage, of the Domestica group. 
III. Chabot, of the Japanese group. 
IV. Milton, of the Wildgoose group. 
V. Newman, of the Chicasaw group. 
The four different stocks used were as follows: 
a. Americana. Seedlings grown in Iowa. 
b. Wayland type. Seedlings grown in Maryland. 
ce. Marianna. Cuttings grown in Maryland. 
d. Peach. Seedlings grown in Maryland. 


Pn? 


— fps 
Jf Va 


Fig 8. AMERICANA ON PEACH 


The stock is overgrowing 


As each variety was propagated on each stock, this made twenty lots 
in the experiment. The grafts were made by Mr. J. W. Kerr of Denton, 
Md., one of the most expert propagators of plums in America. The work 
was done by the whip-graft method commonly employed with apples. The 
cions were made about five inches long. The stocks were piece roots, of 
the usual length, that is, about four to five inches, 


344 Report oF THE HortricuLTURIST 


The grafts were made in winter, and packed in saw-dust. They were 
set in spring in nursery rows, in Mr. Kerr’s nursery, at Denton. The soil 
there is very sandy and loose, though well enriched. with manure. An ex- 
cellent growth was secured from the grafts in this experiment, as from 
other stock in adjacent rows. The season was fairly favorable. Conditions, 
on the whole, were entirely normal, so that there was nothing to interfere 
with the progress of the experiment. 

From the outset there were striking differences among the different 
lots. These were, of course, very interesting, especially from the nursery- 
man’s point of view. At the end of the season these differences were still 
very marked, so much so that it is thought worth while to make a report 
of observations. In general, the fruit grower is interested only in getting 
a good, sound, healthy, comely tree from the nursery, and he cares very 
little by what method it is grown. He seldom inquires, even, as to what 
sort of a stock the top has been propagated on. Doubtless the tree planter 
might properly be more careful as to the stocks which he bays with his 
tree-tops. Doubtless, also, the differing influences of different stocks will 
continue to have some influence after the trees are planted in the orchard, 
and, perhaps, even after they come into bearing. With this in view, we 
have planted the best trees of each lot in a permanent orchard on the sta- 
tion grounds at Burlington, for future observation ; but the experiment in 
its present state of progress is useful principally to the propagator. 

The trees were dug in the spring of 1900. They were graded and meas- 
ured, and full notes and photographs were made of each lot. 

The following digest of the notes taken will serve to show the general 
character of the several lots. It should be remembered that 30 grafts of 
each lot were set. 


NOTES ON ONE-YEAR-OLD TREES 


Ja. Stoddard on Americana ; 24 trees. Mostly straight clean whips, 
first-class. Root system strong and well branched, strongly one-sided, 
with many fibrous roots. Several worthless trees, however. 

Ib. Stoddard on Wayland; 17 trees. Mostly whips, or slightly 
branched ; clean and fine. Root system a little straggling and unsymmetri- 
cal, but good and well branched ; moderately fibrous. 

Ic. Stoddard on Marianna; 12 trees. Mostly clean straight whips. 
Root system smaller and less symmetrical than in lot Vc,—Newman on 
Marianna,—but fairly good. 

Id. Stoddard on peach ; 15 trees. Mostly clean straight whips. Root 
system consisting chiefly of a straight or spiral tap-root, running directly 
downward, strongly branching below ; in this respect differing markedly 
from lot IId,—Green Gage on peach. 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 345 © 


Ila. Green Gage on Americana; 10 trees. Tops small and very 
scrubby. Roots very poor; not branched ; mostly only a single straight 
stub. 

IIb. Green Gage on Wayland ; 9 trees. Trees small, but better than 
the average of Green Gage in this experiment. Root system striking down- 
ward ; unsymmetrical ; branched ; moderately fibrous. 


Gig. 9 STODDARD 


On Americana, Wayland, Marianna, and peach roots, in this order 


IIc. Green Gage on Marianna; 9 trees. <A bad lot; small, branched 
and gnarly. Roots fairly gocd, as compared with tops, somewhat branched, 
having a few fibres. 

IIld. Green Gage on peach ; 12 trees. Two trees clean and straight, 
though small; the rest small, branched, gnarly, bad. Root system of a 
single, unbranched tap root in every case. 

Illa. Chabot on Americana; 27 trees. Large, very thrifty, consider- 
ably branched. Root system irregular, peut somewhat one sided, finely 
branched, and moderately fibrous. 


546 Report oF THE HorricuLTuRIst 


IIIb. Chabot on Wayland ; 8 trees. Trees medium size, a little irregu- 
lar in form. Root system not very good ; only a moderate number of 
branches and a few fibrous roots, 

~ IIIc. Chabot on Marianna; 2 trees. Strong, straight, well branched 
trees. Root system strong and well branched, with a moderate amount of 
fibrous roots. 

IiId. Chabot on peach ; 16 trees. Large, strong, and well branched. 
Root system strong, symmetrical, somewhat branched, with a moderate 
amount of fibrous roots. 

IVa, Milton on Americana ; 17 
trees. Trees variable; many small ; 
larger ones well branched. Root sys- 
tem poor, one sided; moderately 
fibrous. 

IVb. Milton on Wayland; 14 
trees. Trees fine; mostly straight, 
clean whips, or with a few small 
branches. Root system one-sided, 
but good ; well branched, with mod- 
erate amount of fibrous roots. 

IVc. Milton on Marianna; 14 
trees. Large, thrifty, fine, strongly 
branched. Root system large, much 
branched, fairly symmetrical, and 
moderately fibrous. 

IVd. Milton onpeach; 9 trees. 
A bad lot; scrawny, branched, small. 
Roots mostly straight taps, slightly 
twisted, with a very few straggling 
branches. 

Va. Newman on Americana; 
21 trees, Fine, lusty, and strongly 
branched. Root system strong and fine; usually with a stiff but crooked 
tap-root, well branched and moderately fibrous. 

Vb. Newman on Wayland; 12 trees. Trees thrifty and strongly 
branched ; some badly branched from the base. Root system not symmet- 
rical, but well branched, and moderately fibrous. 

Vc. Newman on Marianna; 6 trees. Well branched, strong and fine. 
Root system first class, well branched and well supplied with fibres. 

Vd. Newman on peach ; 21 trees. Strong and much branched, fine. 
Root system strongly yertical, somewhat branched, fair to good, with few 
fibres, 


On Americana, Wayland, Marianna, and 
peach roots, in this order 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 347 - 


General observations.—The best and most typical tree of each lot was 
selected and photographed. These photographs have been carefully redrawn 
and here reproduced as figures 9, 10, 11, 12 and 18. They will explain some 
things much better than the notes. 


Fig. 11. CHABOT 
On Americana, Wayland, Marianna, and peach roots, in this order 


From a consultation of the notes and the pictures it will be seen that 
the several varieties used in this experiment differ markedly in their habit 
of growth. Stoddard is almost always a straight, clean whip at one year 
old. Green Gage is a weak and erratic grower. Chabot is a very strong 
grower, and apt to branch from nearthe base. Miltonis astrong but rather 
willowy tree, with more or fewer branches. Newman is a very strong 
grower, with many divergent thorny branches. 

The character of the top in any given variety, however, seems to be in- 
fluenced somewhat by the stock on which it is grown. In the first place a 
much larger proportion of the cions live on one stock than on another. 
Secondly, their amount of growth for the season is influenced. Thirdly, 
the tendency to branch seems to be intluenced somewhat by the stock in a 


348 REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST | 


few cases, as, for instance, the trees on Americana stocks seemed to be more 
irregularly branched than on other stocks, especially as compared with 
those on peach. 


Fig. 12. MILTON 
On Americana, Wayland, Marianna. and peach roots, in this order 


Even a casual examination of the pictures and notes will show also 
that the several sorts of stocks used differ markedly from one another in 
their habits of growth. The Americana roots are almost uniformly unsym- 
metrical, bending strongly to one side. They usually show several stiff 
secondary roots, which do not set off horizontally from the main root, how- 
ever. There are usually a moderate number of fibrous roots. The Way- 
land stocks give a root system intermediate between the Americanas and 
Marianna. It is somewhat inclined to develop a stiff tap-root with a curve 
to oneside. Thereare several secondary roots, rather longer and more 
slender than on the Americanas, and more inclined to be horizontal. 
There seem to begenerally more fibrous roots on trees of the same size. 
Marianna stocks usually develop a straight tap-root, but this is much less 


| 


wr 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 349 


conspicuous than in Americana or even than in Wayland root systems. 
There are usually more secondary roots, and they are longer and slenderer, 
than inthe foregoing groups. Fibrous roots are usually present in fair 
amount. Peach stocks show always a very large tap-root, running straight 
downward. This is sometimes strongly twisted into a spiral of small diam- 
eter. There are seldom any secondary roots, orif there are, they come out 
low down on the tap-root. Fibrous roots are sparse and hardly worth men- 
tioning. The root system developed by the peach on one year old plum 
trees is evidently the poorest of any in this experiment. 

One of the most interesting,—and somewhat remarkable,—things in 
thisexperiment is the mannerin which the cion apparently influences the 
stock. For instance, Stoddard tops seem to give some of the curved tap- 
root character of the Americanas to all the stocks on which they grow. 
(This point is not well brought out in the notes and pictures, but was more 
apparent in an examination of the trees themselves). One interesting 
point was in the way in which Stoddard tops induced a conspicuous branch- 
ing of the root system when worked on peach. With other varieties the 
peach gave almost always a clean, unbranched tap-root. The weak growth 
of Green Gage naturally served to induce only a weak growth in most of 
the stocks on which it was worked; while the rampant growth of Chabot 
had exactly the opposite effect. The strongly branching root systems 
found on Chabot trees were probably due in part tothe energetic way in 
which the foliage acted during the growing season. Marianna stocks, 
which seemed to be uncongenial to Milton, giving only a poor union, made 
very little growth when grafted with Milton cions. No other case was ob- 
served in which Milton appeared to have any influence on its stock. New- 
man seemed to influence all stocks in the way of giving off more secondary 
roots. Nearly all stocks when grafted with Newman gave a strong 
vigorous growth. considerably above the average, tending at the same time 
to produce more both of secondary roots and of fibres. 

It will not do to press this point too far. The question of how the 
stock may influence the cion has been mooted ever since grafting was prac- 
ticed. The question of how the cion may influence the stock has been still 
more obscure. No fundamental principles are established by this experi- 
ment ; but it seems fair to believe that we have here one of the few authen- 
tic cases of record in which definite tangible changes in the root system 
have been induced by the character of the cion. 

Other observations and measurements are recorded in the following 
table. The term ‘‘ merchantable trees’’ applies to all trees above three feet 
in height which were clean and straight enough to pass with an ordinary 
buyer. Itwas not found feasible to separate the lots into ‘firsts’? and 
“‘seconds.’’ But those trees classed as ‘‘merchantable’’ were very much 


such stock as is sold by the better nurserymen on orders for one year old 
plum trees. 


350 Report oF THE HorricuvTurist 


‘Fig. 133. NEWMAN 


On Americana, Wayland, Marianna, and peach roots, in this order 


\ 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 


TABLE GIVING MEMORANDA OF TREES 


‘ Total Extreme | Average 
Description number of hight hight 
| trees* in feet in feet 
Stoddard : 
(Ia) On Americana_.- 24 5.00 2.50 
(Ib) On Wayland___-. 17 4.50 2.89 
(Ic) On Marianna __._|~ 12 4.33 3.42 
ClayeOn- peach: <_-.-. 15 4.00 2.08 
Green Gage: 
(IIa) On Americana ._ 10 3.50 yp 
(Ib) On Wayland ___- 9 4.2 ZL? 
(IIc) On Marianpa.__- 9 1.50 I 04 
(IId) On peach. ___--- 12 4.50 1.58 
Chabot : 
(IIIa) On Americana__ 27 6,00 3.92 
(IIIb) Ou Wayland __- 8 4.17 3-42 
(I1Tc) On Marianna___ z 5.50 475 
(IIId) On peach____..- 16 5.50. 22 4.08 
Milton. 
(IVa) On Americana__/ 17 5.00 3.08 
(IVb) On Wayland _.. 14 5-75 4.75 
(1Vc) On Marianna___ 14 4.50 3.50 
(IVd) On peach. _..... 9 1.25 0.81 
Newman : 
(Va) On Americana__-_ 20 5.00 3.65 
(Vb) On Wayland ___- 12 4.50 3.90 
(Ve) On Marianna__-_- 6 4.00 3.58 
(Vd) On peach__-_-.--- aI 5.00 3.90 


Number of 
merchantable 
trees 


mw OWN 


301 


Percent of 


merchantable 


trees 


* Thirty grafts in each lot were planted. 


The data contained in the foregoing table are summarized herewith : 


AS TO VARIETIES 


PROPAGATED : AVERAGES 


Total Extreme Average Number Per cent 
Description | trees in hight hight merchant- merchant- 
| each lot in feet in feet able able 
Sia ete 17.00 4.46 272 7.75 | 47 
Green Gage ___..___- 7.50 3.44 1,62 1.50 20 
antes Sete Se 13.25 5.29 4.04 11.25 85 
YT UA EY 0 a, et 13.50 4.13 3.03 8.50 58 
Ie witanve. so. 2.) 2. 15.00 4.6 3.76 13.50 89 
AS TO STOCKS USED : AVERAGES 

Americana s Sa eee 19.8 4.90 2.97 12.8 | 59 
Wuawidid 2200 02/222. 12.0 4.63 3.43 8.2 67 
Watianna: 9s... l.< 8.6 3.97 3.26 5.6 67 
Heeatiieres Se. 14.6 4.05 2.49 7.6 42 


S02 REporRT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


Doubtless we ought to apologize for drawing any conclusions from a 
single experiment and in a preliminary report. Nevertheless we shall take ~ 
the liberty of mentioning some of the most obvious facts brought out by 
the data presented above. The following statements are true and accurate, 
of course, for the experiment in hand. As to how far they would hold 
good in other years, in other soils and in other climates, remains to be 
seen. Probably many of these data would be verified in other experi- 
ments. 

Comparison of varieties.—It will be seen that Stoddard gave the largest 
average number of trees in each lot; Chabot gave the greatest average 
height, considering either extremes or averages; while Newman gave the 
largest average number and percentage of merchantable trees. Green Gage 
gave the lowest average ineverycolumn. These figures indicate that Green 
Gage is comparatively very difficult to propagate; whereas Newman and 
Chabot are comparatively easy. The figures emphasize these conclusions 
less than an examination of the trees would. 

Comparison of stocks.—It will be seen that the Americana stocks gave 
the largest average total of trees in each lot, the tallest trees (extreme 
hight considered), and considerably the largest number of merchantable 
trees. This is somewhat remarkable. Americana stocks have come into 
use only in the northwest and only because they are understood to be ex- 
tremely hardy. It is altogether unexpected that they should outrank peach 
and Marianna stocks in the production of good, clean merchantable:trees 
in a southern nursery and in a sandy soil. This is perhaps the most strik- 
ing fact brought out by the experiment. Onthe other hand the Marianna, 
—still considered the best stock in many southern nurseries,—gaye much 
the smallest number of trees, considering either the total or the merchanta- 
ble product. 

General result.—If we go behind the averages, however, we find that 
they cover a number of inequalities. These inequalities, moreover, are 
quite as significant in some cases as the averages. Thus we find that 
Stoddard—an Americana—did better on Americana roots than on any other, 
though the Wayland stocks gave equal results as regards number of mer- 
chantable trees and a greater average size. Green Gage seems to have done 
best on Wayland stocks, and to have been a failure on Marianna,— a stock 
on which it is often propagated commercially. Chabot gave by far the 
best result on Americana roots, though it has generally been supposed that 
Marianna and peach stocks were specially congenial to the Japanese plums, 
Milton made the best showing on Wayland stocks, while it was practically 
a failure on peach. This last point was very striking, and came much in 
the nature of a surprise. Peach stocks have been supposed to be suitable 
for all the plums of the Wildgoose type. Newman did best on peach, which 
is according to current opinion ; but it gave second best results on Ameri- 


ey) 
Or 
ey) 


PROPAGATION OF PLUMS 


cana, which is not in agreement with the nursery notions commonly held. 
It was poorest of all on Marianna roots, though Marianna has often been 
specially recommended for propagating all the Chicasaws. 

We therefore arrive at this important notion: that a given variety does 
not do equally well on all stocks, and, vice versa, that a given stock is -not 
equally adapted to all varieties. In other words, the fullest success is 
reached by grafting a cion upon a stock which is specially adapted to it. 
This is a refinement of nursery practice which the ordinary nurseryman is 
probably not prepared to adopt. It might, nevertheless, be worth his while 
to doso incertain cases. It seems fair to believe, in view of the figures here 
given,that a nurseryman might have three or four sorts of stocks on hand; and 
that he might with advantage work each variety which he propagates upon 
the stock which is best for it. A difference of 10 to 20 per cent in the mer- 
chantable product is the difference between a losing business and money 
in the bank. 

The man who is seeking an all-purpose stock will naturally confine his 
examination of these figures to the averages. The principal lesson which 
they teach is, that Americana stocks are worthy of more careful trial by 
many nurserymen and private propagators. 


IV. LATER NOTES 


Delay in the publication of this report enables us to add our observa- 
tions of the behavior of these trees during the summer of 1900. As has 
been related, three of the best trees from each lot were selected and planted 
in permanent orchard arrangement on the station grounds in Burlington. 

The average growth of these several lots is shown in the following 
table : 


AVERAGE GROWTH IN ORCHARD 


Measurements in inches 


 aiedanee Weel Niatiahia Be Ver age 
POA oso) cae Seals 24 17% 15 10 16.6 
TAR SCHR CXS Ye II 16 : ug) 18 T4,5 
CADINC a 34 34 37% 18 30.9 
RinIGOIMeEMe nS ke ol 28 37 38 fo) 25.7 
LD GNOp STEN GIS 2 ye ee i a3 37 26 24 30.0 
PAE LAS Cy a a aoa. oe 26.0 28.3 25-9 14.0 25-3 


Stoddard (Americana) made the strongest growth and did best in 
eyery particular on Americana roots. It was second best on Wayland roots, 
and decidedly unsatisfactory on peach. : 

Green Gage (Domestica) ‘is a poor grower at best. The best trees seem 
to be those on Wayland, with Americana second best. i 


54 REPORT OF THE HorvTIcuLTuRIST 


Chabot (Japanese) is a rank grower. It did best on Marianna and 
Wayland, whereas it was decidedly poor on peach, one tree out of three 
having died besides. 

Milton (Wildgoose group) made a splendid growth on all stocks but 
peach. Every tree on peach died. Out of the thirty propagated, not one 
remains at the end of the second year. This result is remarkable. Way- 
and and Marianna gave about equal results. 

Newman (Chicasaw) is a vigorous grower, though not comely. It did 
best on Wayland roots, second best on Americana roots. The peach 
stocks, which gave best results last year in Mr. Kerr’s sandy Maryland 
nursery, gave distinctly poorest results during this first year inthe Vermont 
orchard. 

All the trees did fairly well, excepting Green Gage, and making due 
allowance for the unfavorable growing season, they did uncommonly well. 
A further exception, however, should be made for those on peach roots. 
The peach stocks have made a very poor showing in the orchard... Every 
lot on peach is inferior to the same variety on any other stock whatever. 

The trees remaining after the orchard was planted, were ‘‘ rowed out,”’ 
as the nurserymen say, in nursery rows, about a foot apart in the row. The 
following notes taken from these nursery rows, will have some interest : 

Stoddard on Americana.—21 trees planted ; 16 living, good and thrifty. 

Stoddard on Wayland.—14 planted ; 10 living, good. 

Stoddard on Marianna.—9 planted ; 5 living, fair. 

Stoddard on peach.—12 planted ; 8 living, stunted appearance. 

Green Gage on Americana.—7 planted ; 4 living, poor. 

Green Gage on Wayland.—6 planted ; 4 living, good. 

Green Gage on Marianna.—6 planted ; 3 living, poor. 

Green Gage on peach.—9 planted ; 4 living, poor, straggling. 

Chabot on Americana.—24 planted ; 11 living, rather poor and uneven. 

Chabot on Wayland.—5 planted ; 5 living, rather poor. 

Chabot on Marianna.—None left over. 

Chabot on peach.—13 planted ; all dead, not one started. 

Milton on Americana.—1l4 planted ; 7 living, extra fine. 

Milton on Wayland.—11 planted ; 9 living, fine. 

Milton on Marianna.—11 planted ; 9 living, extra fine. 

Milton on peach.—6 planted ; all dead. 

Newman on Americana.—18 planted ; 16 living, extra good. 

Newman on Wayland—9 planted ; 8 living, extra good. 

Newman on Marianna.—3 planted ; 3 living, good. 

Newman on peach.—18 planted ; 18 living, fine and thriity. 

These notes give additional evidence (except in the case of Newman) 
on the unsuitability of the peach stocks to our soil and seagon. 


Pitum PouuINATIon 355 


FURTHER WORK IN PLUM POLLINATION 


Four reports on experments in the pollination of plums have already 
been made by this station.! The general practical problems have been 
cleared up to adegree which has seemed to justify the more particular study 
of certain special questions bearing on the subject. The experiments have 
been continued during the past year, therefore, along somewhat restricted 
lines. A brief report of such work as has been completed up to date fol- 
lows herewith. 


I.. STUDIES OF POLLEN 


The plum blossom consists.of two essential parts, the pistil, or female 
organ, and a whorl of stamens, or male organs. The normal and abnormal 
forms of the pistil were extensively studied at the outset of our experi- 
mental work, and the relation of the various malformations to pollination 
was fully considered. Some attention was also given to the production of 
pollen, to the variations of the male organs and to possible fluctuations in 
the efficiency of their work. Pollen and pollen production, however, were 
not so exhaustively studied as it seemed they ought to be; and to this sub- 
ject, therefore, some further attention has been directed during the past 
year. 

A great many samples of pollen were examined under the microscope 
and tested forgermination. The results of these examinations and tests are 
presented in the accompanying table. 

Germination tests were made chiefly in drop cultures on microscope 
slides in five percent sugar solution. Various methods were tried, and 
sugar solutions of varying strength, from three percent to twenty percent, 
were tested. Though there seemed to be little difference in pollen germina-: 
tions following the variations in strength of the solutions, the five percent 
solution gave, on the whole, greatest uniformity of results, and was there- 
fore adopted as the standard strength for the regular series of experiments. 

1 Vt. Exp. Sta. Bul. 53 (1896). Rpt. 10, p. 87-96 (1897). Rpt. 11, p. 238-262 (1898). Rpt. 12 
p. 189-209 (1899). 


556 


Variety 


Abundance ________ 


ae 


Apple <CN) fees? 


BAV ay 2a ae ee 


ra 


Captain = ere 


Champion sass) 
ee 


Clyman 4. some 


Crescent (4) ¢2200. 45 
Cuniberlande =.= 
Deeperetka( Nios 
JM pi Crass ee eee 


Excelsior =... 
Gonzales. area 2 es. 


GUSE ita es 
Macedonia_._______- 
Maiisonces, : see 


INTHIONA. = eyes 


Robinson (N)___.-- 


ROWLELEe (ING) eae ss 
Satsumas sesso 


SOpitie cscs ee 
Strawberry _.___--- 
bexas: Belle cos. 52” 


oe 


ae 


ae 


ae 


oe 


Yel. Transparent__ 


*(N) This character stands for “nursery.” The trees from which these samples of 
pollen were taken stoodin nursery rows. 


REPORT OF THE HorrTIcuLTuRIst 
TABLE OF POLLEN GERMINATION TESTS 


ae Germina- - 

Localities Character of pollen tii 
Fthaca oN aw) eee irregular fp, sda's 2. cakes 

i Se ERR ret is Ee 10% 

« Me good 
Matviand 9:42: irrepulat 2sge ee| se 
Ithaca, N.Y... 2.20.) Ss =s2 see 40% 
Margland< os. kse abundatitee =. see none 

en ee Pee ec 40% 
ee bie ceded. | - SSS Slee ee ee 43% 
So Ys 8 ae eee 41% 
(en we | ee 70% 
oh oer ah ke eta fine, large=e ase good 
“ __...._ 2. |fine) abundant weak 
Georgia _._-.__......|=$-+=..eee=== ene 20% 
Oe oe cee ll calipes==s—h eee a 3% 
Ithaca wNeey eee fine 2 220 ee eee 
Georgia _:...-2.....4s-=:s0 eee =e good 
Maryland _______.._. fine, abundant _____. poor 
CO satin Sey tet fine, largelet- sees good 
Ithacas Nav sees Scant ue PP oe PESOS 

ae ee SS ion oe ee 10% 

Matyland=, =. 2: small, scativ.. 2. =eee none 
Sas Gow cee small, irregular ____. none 
TthacaveNieay. see see 00d _ 2 lessee none 

MUU) ie tw eke re good 

Maryland... -...0%|-----.. eee fair 
Sb Lae. ellen 0. weak 
[thacawN. Vuseeoees Sis eee ses2}goFe 

$6) OO “eu eo 20% 
Miatylaiicleee = ae e fine, abundant ___... extra 
Ithaca Nopyoee ee eee good... i ee eee y 
Maryland..22.22 212.3205 eee poor 

ET es aaeeen tees _---|weak 
ss _....--.--.|Small but plump ____]good 
Georgia _-5...$2)-.2.| 260... 5e eee good 
Maryland @.02. 22 Sieesd eee eee weak 
ae ewe de caculeustcoee eee poor 
{Oe ee ee fine, abundant. oe fair 
0 Sy ne 26 ae 25% 
“8s 245 Se 32% 
Oe ea weet Se ee abundant) 33a none 
ati Nd clacton oe EU | good, abundant ____- poor 
See po Mee ee good) 22 eee poor 
A. gedlleedacll*o3aae ee poor 
“ Sle d.scke ee See none 
Geofeia |. 2.2 2... ... |e eee 11% 
“(if eeeaeee 20% 
Maryland ss sess ae poor ...c eee none 
‘Si)> TS aes good /. 5. An sees strong ~ 
Os heal es . S aee Poor... 3:2 ee eee poor 
a ig py hk ce eee fine.) 7c eee poor 
Sg nT hha tee, - ' poor... 75) eee moderate 
BO wees cette [anne ee eee eee e en eee eee 377% 
eee mee ee 34% 
$6 2 Boe al Ol cee 30% 
OFM 2 | none 
OF Geta b oo Sas) eles eee good 
Ithaca Ne Ve eee yery smallaeeeeee none 

8 al 8% 

Maryland 222) 252 23) So ee 14% 
My ie Wea Lotewol <> he eye 16% 
Beas). eee aes small grains_________|poor 
Oo oy sets ico i rr poor 
ee poor 
to | ae Sake: 2) eee none 
(Com)  Sesedoss.:| 2) See extra 
Woo Oe les ee none 

Oklahoma. ¢, 2.4.25] 5...4. 2. ee good 

Maryland -230 2eece small .-.3:e eee poor 


}+Figures in parenthesis give number of samples taken. 
}This tree was badly attacked by monilia. 


They were two years old, 


Pium PoLLINATION 357 


The conclusions which we reached from our studies of pollen, includ- 
ing an analysis of the data presented in the foregoing table, may be sum- 
marized as follows : 

1. Pollen varies greatly in quantity, though in most cases it is in such 
large supply as to insure adequate pollination. The instances of deficient 
quantity seemed to occur most frequently among hybrid varieties. 

2. Pollen also varies in the size and plumpness of the grains. Many 
grains are seen, on microscopic examination, to be small, empty or col- 
lapsed. In earlier observations! it was found that grains which appeared 
normal to the eye were sometimes lacking of protoplasmic contents, indi- 
cating their uselessness for purposes of fecundation. These irregularities 
-also appear to be unusually frequent among varieties of hybrid origin. 

The observations under | and 2 above seem to give an affirmative reply 
to one of the queries propounded four years ago?: ‘‘ Will the continued 
intercrossing and hybridizing of sorts in the orchard tend to produce vari- 
eties characterized by increasing sexual weakness?’’ This conclusion can 
not be emphasized, however, on the basis of present observations. 

3. Pollen varies in germinating power. In culture experiments it 
varies excessively, though the germination is, on the whole, always sur- 
prisingly low. It may be fairly doubted whether experimental conditions 
are nearly enough like natural conditions to make experimental pollen 
germinations fairly representative of what takes place in the orchard. The 
microscopic examination of stigmas at pollinating time, it should be said, 
always showed an abundance of germinating pollen grains. Still there is 
nothing to throw doubt upon the general conclusion of this paragraph, 
that pollen varies in germinating power. 

4. Itis impossible, with data now at hand, to assign any causes to 
these fluctuations in quantity, size, and viability of pollen. Trees severely 
assailed by monilia (which have hitherto shown a striking tendency to 
produce imperfect pistils*) gave unusually fine samples of pollen, showing 
extra germinating power. See Kroh, table, page 356. Small nursery trees 
(which often show weak pistils when they blossom‘ ) 
yielded pollen apparently as good as any. Pollen taken during rainy 
weather seemed to germinate as well as that taken during the most pro- 
pitious days. 

5. It seems probable that the germination of plum pollen is not readily 
influenced by ordinary external conditions. Germination in cultures of 


I Vt. Exp. Sta. Bul. 53, p. 54 (1896). 
2 Vt. Exp. Sta. Bul. 53, p. 64 (1896). 
3 See Vt. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 10, p. 91 (1897). 


4 See loc. cit. 


+3 ts a REporRT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


sugar solution may fairly be regarded as an extraordinary condition, yet 
the pollen did not seem to be’sensitive to differences of ten to fifteen per 
cent in the strength of the solution. Where pollen was observed on the 
stigmas of the blossoms, it invariably showed a strong germination. 

6. From the standpoint of the practical plum planter, there seems to 
be only one conclusion of consequence to be drawn from the study of pollen 
and pollen production ; namely, that certain hybrid varieties, notably 
Wickson and Excelsior, probably also Gonzales and others, can not be re- 
lied on for the pollination of other varieties, even though other conditions 
of simultaneous blossoming, etc., be fully met. 


Il. MALFORMATION OF BLOSSOMS 


In connection with the observations recorded under 1 and 2 above, to 
the effect that certain hybrid plums show a tendency towards defectiveness 
of the male organs, it may be worth while to put on record certain notes of 
malformed blossoms. These malformations were found chiefly in hybrid 
varieties, and usually in the stamens. The most striking cases are those of 
Mr. J. W. Kerr’s so-called Mule, a hybrid of Troth Early peach and Wild- 
goose plum! and in Mr. G. L. Taber’s Excelsior, a hybrid of Kelsey with 
Wildgoose (probably ).? 

In Mule there are no petals and no pistils. There are a large number 
of stamens which, however, have more the form of pistils than of stamens. — 
The usual form is shown in figure 1. This form is fairly constant. There 
is a slight swelling at the base of the stamen, showing an incipient ovary ; 
while the organ is surmounted with a small head which partakes more of 
the nature of a stigma than of an anther. Thesurface of this anther or 
stigma is not entirely smooth, but has a tendency to be granular, like the 
common stigmatic surface. 

There has been no recent opportunity for an examination of the organs 
of Blackman plum, another peach-plum hybrid?’ ; but according to the writ- 
er’s recollection, the structure of the blossoms is almost exactly as in Mule. 

_ Excelsior is more interesting. Mule and Blackman are both necessarily 
and irremediably sterile ; but Excelsior usually bears fair crops, even on 
the trees which show the malformations here described. These deformities 
of the flowers have been carefully noted for two years, on two large trees 
in the orchard of Mr. J. W. Kerr. The blossoms usually have pistils which 
appear to be perfect, though weak. Occasionally pistils are wanting. The 
stamens, however, show all degrees of malformation, from the normal form 
up to nearly perfect pistils. The more common forms are shown in figure 
2. The stamen shown at a is nearly normal, having only a slight prolon- 


1 See Vt. Exp. Sta. Bul. 67, p. 17 (1898). 
2 Ibid, page 11. 
3 Ibsd page 7, 


Pium PoLuINnatTIon _ 309 


gation at the apex. The one at 6 is still further 


/ a extended upwards, and the prolongation has dis- 
| ws . tinctly the aspect of a style and stigma. The 
\\ anther itself is split down the front, appearing to 

l be half dehisced, but really approaching the form 


shown at c, which is still more pistil-like. Here 

the appearance of stigma and style are still more 
Fig. 1. Dissection of blos- pronounced, and the body of the anther has split 

soms of Mule. r re 

open, showing distinctly the morphology of a leaf. 
Upon either margin of this leaf-like anther-ovary, an ovuleis borne. These 
ovules are conspicuous and unmistakable in the forms shown at c, d, e and 
f. Occasionally they are enclosed in the ovary-like organ, in which case 
the transformation from stamen to pistil is nearly complete. 

All these stages may be 
found in a single flower, along 
with normal stamens bearing 
viable pollen. . 

Abortive seeds are some- 

_ what frequently found in hy- 
_ brid plums, especially in cer- 
tain varieties. 

A wild tree of Prunus 
americana bearing flowers 
without petals, has been re- 
corded, also one bearing flow- 
ers without pistils. Other 


varieties have been observed a b c d Cet 
which frequently bear double Fig. 2. DISSECTION OF EXCELSIOR. 
or triple pistils.' 


Iii, TRANSPORTATION OF POLLEN 


There is a very general belief that pollen is transported from tree to 
tree in the orchard by wind and by bees. The popular notion seems to 
give about equal credit to these two agencies. Hxperiments already re- 
ported by this station’ have tended to show that plum pollen is carried al- 
most exclusively by insects, and that the wind has little or no part in the 
work. 

This year it occurred to the writer to determine whether or not plum 
pollen is really transported by wind, without immediate reference to the 
question of pollination. For this experiment a number of glass slips were 


1 See Vt. Exp. Sta. Bul. 53, p. 51 (1896). 
2 Vt. Exp. Sta. Rpt. 11, p. 245 (1898). Rpt. 12, p. 201, (1899). 


360 REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


taken, such as are used in microscopes. These were labeled at one end ; 
and the remainder of each slip was painted with a mixture of vaseline and 
lampblack. These slips were then exposed in various parts of the plum 
orchard. The vaseline caught whatever pollen was carried against the slip ; 
and the lampblack made the grains more visible. (At least it was expect- 
ed that the lampblack would help. It is doubtful whether it did’or not). 

When the slips were taken down, they were carefully examined with a 
hand lens of sufficient power to detect any grains of pollen ; and the posi- 
tions of all such grains, or pollen masses, were carefully noted on blank - 
slips in the field record. From these were made the drawings reproduced 
in figure 3, which show, therefore, with fair accuracy, the results of this 
test. 

These experiments were made on the 24th and 25th of April. Theslips 
were put in place at one o’clock. At this time there was a steady wind of 
about five miles an hour, which continued until sundown. The day was 
warm, bright and clear; the trees were in the height of the blooming sea- 
son, and the bees were at work in armies. The forenoon of the 25th was 
hardly so warm, but there was a fine fresh northwest wind, of at least ten 
miles an hour. 

Shp A was placed in the midst of an orchard of Wildgoose plums in full 
bloom. It was set.at a hight of six feet from the ground and midway, east 
and west, between two large plum trees, at a distance of about ten feet from 
each, the wind being in thenorth. After staying in place twenty-four 
hours it had not caught a single pollen grain. 

Ship B was set about fifteen feet tothe north of a large Wildgoose tree 
and at a hight of six feet, facing the tree. At theend of twenty-four hours 
it had not caught a single pollen grain. 

Slip C was set about six feet from the ground, about ten feet from, and 
facing,a large Wildgoose tree,and directly in the course of the wind. Atthe 
end of twenty-four hours it had caught twenty-five pollen grains and pollen 
masses, mostly masses. The positions of these masses are shown onslip C, 
figure 3. 

Slip D was placed face up on the ground underneath a large Wildgoose 
tree. At the end of two hours it had caught one pollen mass. 

Slip E was set at a hight of two feet from the ground in the midst of 
a large mixed orchard of Wayland, Whitaker, Sophie, Newman and Clark, 
nearly all in full bloom. It was less than ten feet from each of four large 
trees in full bloom. At the end of twenty anda half hours it had caught 
seven pollen grains and masses. 

Bearing in mind that this test was made at the hight of the pollinating 
season and under the most favorable conditions possible, it will be seen that 
the wind proved very inefficient in the transportation of pollen. Even at a 
distance of ten feet,—the distance of one tree from another,—and in the 


361 


GQNIM Ad SHAASNVUL NHTIOd AO SGNOOHU “f “BI 


Pitum Po.urmnation 


a 


‘Ld 3Q “LHOH 
“NOILWLS dX3 ‘LA 


ee 


“1d30 ‘LUOH ‘tgd30 “LUOH "4d 30 "LYON : ‘Ld 3Q “LHOH 
"NOILVWLS dXxX3 ‘LA "NOlLWLS dX3 ‘LA “NOILVLS dX3 ‘LA "NOILVLS dX3 ‘LA 
LL 


362 REPORT OF THE Horticutturist 


direct course of the wind, the amount of pollen transported was far too 
small for effective pollination, as will be seen by consulting slip C. In 
other cases the transfer of pollen was practically nothing, though the dis- 
tances were insignificant and the conditions highly favorable. 

The fact that pollen was nearly always found on the slips in masses is 
explained by the waxy, sticky nature of all fresh plum pollen. Such plum 
pollen will adhere to a smooth knife blade so strongly that it can hardly be 
blown off by the breath. his makes it most admirably adapted to trans- 
fer by bees, but very poorly adapted to transportation by the wind. 

At the end of a hot, dry day a few grains of pollen may sometimes be 
found still in the blossoms ; and at such times these grains are sufficiently 
dry to be carried by the wind with greater ease. It seems hardly probable, 
however, that they are of any importance in the pollination of an orchard. 

Pear pollen is usually even more sticky and gummy than plum pollen. 
Apple pollen is a little less so. It seems from observations made by the 
writer, that the pollination of these fruits, also, is effected chiefly, if not 
exclusively, by insects, while the wind plays no consequential part. These 
conclusions are the same as those reached by Waite,' who has experimented 
widely in the pollination of pomaceous fruits. 


THE POLLINATION OF APPLES 


? 


While the pollination of pears and plums has been somewhat exhaust- 
ively investigated, the pollination of apples, rather oddly, has been com- 
paratively neglected. The principal work has been done by Waite, who - 
studied apples incidentally along with his experiments in the pollination 
of pears. In his first publication, > Waite said: ‘‘The varieties of apples 
are more inclined to be sterile to their own pollen than the pears. With 
the former, in the great majority of cases, no fruit resulted from self-pol- 
lination.’”? The same general conclusions have been reiterated in a later 
publication.* 

After all that has been said and written about the pollination or fer- 
tilization of flowers of fruit trees, it will hardly be necessary to enter into a 
detailed explanation of the elementary facts. Nevertheless it may be best 
to give so much of a review as is involved in the following statements: (1) 
It is necessary for the pollen borne by the blossoms to fall on the stigmas 
(central organs) of the flowers. This is called pollination. (2) When 
this occurs under favorable circumstances, the substance of the pollen 

1 U.S. Dept. Agr. Div. Veg. Path., Bul. 5, p. 81 (1894). See also U, S. Dept. Agr., 
Vear-book, 1898, p. 175. 

2 U.S. Dept. Agr., Div. Veg. Path. Bul. 5, p. 81 (1894). 

3 U.S. Dep. Agr. Year-book, 1898, p. 175. 


POLLINATION OF APPLES . 363 


grains fecundates, impregnates, or fertilizes the little ovules, which are 
just beginning to form in the embryo apple, pear or plum. (3) Unless 
this fecundation of the seeds takes place, the fruit usually does not develop. 
It withers and falls off instead. The crop of fruit is therefore dependent 
on the success of this process of fecundation. (4) The flowers of many 
kinds of fruits, however, refuse to be fecundated with pollen from the 
same tree or variety. They require pollen from some other source. That 
is, they require cross-pollination ; in which case they are said to be self- 
sterile. 


I. SELE-STERILITY 


The Vermont experiment station has carried on experiments for two 
years with a view to determine the general extent of self-sterility in apples. 
These experiments have been conducted chiefly in the orchard of Mr. S. P. 
Gordon of Grand Isle county, who has one of the best collections of vari- 

eties in this vicinity, and to whom we are greatly indebted for many kind- 
"nesses. 

The tests herewith reported were made in the same manner as our tests 
of the self sterility of plums! 

Clusters of blossoms were covered with thin paper sacks, there being 
usually from ten to thirty blossoms in each sack. The enclosed blossoms 
were thus protected from the visits of bees bringiug pollen from other trees, 
and also from any pollen which might possibly be borne by the wind. At 
the same time they would be freely pollinated by the pollen from the nu- 
merous blossoms enclosed. That such self-pollination actually occurred 
was frequently ascertained by examination with a hand lens. That the 
fecundation of the ovules did not oceur was inferred when the fruits with- 
ered and failed to set. 

After the blossoming season was passed the sacks were removed and the 
blossoms examined ; and record was made of the fruits set, of the blossoms 
which had failed to set fruit, and of the crop set on the tree by those blos- 
soms which were uncovered. The results of these tests are grouped in the 
following table. The figures for each individual tree are kept separately, 
so that the five entries under Baldwin mean that five trees were included in 
the experiments during the two years. 


1. For a discussion of this method, and of the reliability of results given by it, see Vt. 
Exp. Sta. Rpt. 11, p. 240 (1898). 


364 Report oF THE HoRricuLTURIST 
RECORD OF PROTECTED APPLE BLOSSOMS 
Number 
Variety blossoms | Fruits set sp pen 
covered 
Ba lel ed thy deste ee he | Ee 2) I ar aes Oe te Og 44 o/ good 
CCEA en oe et he Wi Shes SS VaR ae ay erie a ee 1) I oc 
AS eee TE AOR Eee eS Be) re Ped Pina eee ee 42 fo) extra 
Ne eggh es Rees el Sl aet oie eaee ay Co) " 
RCS hi ee eee ees he Sk CEO Rae ee ee cue ieee 27 ° ‘ 
BEN DANVIStI+ 2 eee oo DoS es cee eee et 19 Ze) light 
Ksopus (Spitzenburg)........-.---- asotl= cee, See II ro) fair 4 
ioe ania ks Saree es eye rome Suk ee 53 I s 
Be ee gto rag ta ek ee eS es ee EO peme reae 22 fo) 
Mameuse..cni See See ce So ee eee ee ee 65 I good 
Lene Teen ee ee ene Oy rie) TP I Ee ee 59 fe) ae 
3S Pelt eee ha ee Eonar AR ee 50 fe) ot 
Doc ieee ae nen, eee Aner Me ei aS 17 O ha 
Ce ae ee tot ee ee a Ps aint ga UR ee 32 Oo ae 
Greening: (Rhodelsland)o22 «Ve. sess. ee ee 50 ro) Hy 
$5 ad Mie De” ead oe Se a oe ec 22 fo) ac 
or ee Senne. Opie SP eo a ic aoe ee eee eee 34 oW ~I|fine 
Ue LR eked ig ae lies ee eee 62 fo) good 
CO eT tn a RL lle ee ea 41 oO ea 
BE mr 2 A IOTRRS oh SE oe ek ee 44 0 moderate 
et He fe NE ee RS ye J Se ger i se ee a2 fo) 4a 
cat gh. SAY le ee ht Lee ee eee ee 23 cc) ae 
Series) < pgtta  Ebee e eS oa 104 fe) heavy 
Pe ee ote aici a et ee 72 fo) good 
we aN Sis fac! clei bent <9)" oo es SS ee 16 fe} a6 
Av) ot ON ee ta ee Se ee 62 fe) ee 
Be? Re a he 7 oe Sa ee 69 0 moderate 
B02 et he bee aerate eens | ol oe a 72 fe) good 
Hawley ee Sa ee eee 53 0 light 
156 bb Yoga tae Com ME he Lg a Lge ema E eal Aig ee 15 oO fair 
Northern? (Seer) 920 ee 8 eet eee. ee een eee 81 o good 
ir emia rial Wana i Sg May Weg og ET ABS eee ge ae 32 oO « 
Northern;S pyc 8 =: See a ee nd ee eee aa ee Beare 19 fc) light 
Porter 2c 2b LRN a A hs are ea ge er re UR coe | 52 ° extra 
Rec AstfaGh ad nt. 5 cpys a ee Oe metas See eae 16 Co) heavy 
RediCanida. i. 52 eee ee eae he eee Eee 80 ° good 
Roséa tt 228 £7 Sone Se ee oe oe sa oe ie te ee 75 co) moderate 
Yi 1 SaaS ene y aE ee eee I Nas J, 2 yy Sue Severe ayes tee fo 45 fe) fair 
Roxbury (Russet) Ss ceo ce ee oe eee 27 Co) moderate 
See OS oS Se Ge Se ul Sa ek Ney Onion peers a eae oe ee 30 fe) light 
BES ie ae ae) ie On. oe Re Oe a ae. DNs. Serene ae 2I oO “6 
Se Le cd St ee ae Pees Boe tee ee ine errs Be be ee RR 41 fe) a6 
HOlnan i ( Sweet) oct ie ee ie epee a eee oe ees 132 (o) heavy 
Dt ORS nd pg So a AM OS te Pao ee ore ee PL ete 21 ° good 
Ee ge IE IES oe Paisisl <p Ra Ne Re OY as pd SoS) SR OS ly 55 fe) ce 
SE) La St Se BEEN 20 Ol oc Sh ag Se OS waa Ieee IE te 15 fe) be 
Wealthy ac ul). sal 5 eee eS oe oe pees ae ee 28 fe) o 
Westhelds(Seek-210-fu7 ther) oan eee en ee 58 Ze) 2 
ies) hoe) Sayeal 404 ees Re eee ee ee eer 37 ) moderate 
pete AUR Poe WG De on EE ee re eee Ae, oy ee 67 Co) fair 
ets Bebe t eae ese 32) UE eee ae ee ie trea 85 oO of 
Be ee cope BO ee ee ee os ee eee 95 ) wo 
ee it oe ee ne te ere 94 Co) light 
Wa ONG, a erage chee re fn et Se 49 fc) good 
Williams Ahavorele) ae cee 22 Le ee eee 30 fo) a 
all a OO had, meee ae SP Ma Oneal Pee tity: oe Ner gD n MT ey 33 fe) ae 
J.Otals 23s 5 Saco tee eee ee ee ee ee 2586 3 


The results are very striking, only three apples having set out of the 
2586 blossoms covered, or a little more than one-tenth of one percent. 
These were of Baldwin, Esopus, and Fameuse,—varieties generally ac- 
counted to be more or less self-fertile. The self-fertility, however, was not 


— a a 


POLLINATION OF APPLES 365 


great enough in any case to encourage any one to depend on self-pollination 
for a crop of fruit. 

Waite has shown also in his experiments already cited, that, even 
where fruit forms by self-pollination, better fruit is given by cross-pollina- 
tion. So that, though it is possible that our experiments show an unusual 
degree of self-sterility, there is still every reason to feel that the importance 
of cross-pollination has not been over-emphasized. 

The practical conclusion to be drawn from these experiments is simple 
and unequivocal. It is that large blocks of apples of a single variety should 
never be planted, no matter what the variety may be. Mix two or more varieties 
together in alternating rows. 


II. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 

Beside the plain rule that varieties should always be mixed in orchard 
planting, certain other practical considerations are to be held in mind. » 

1. The varieties which stand next to one another should blossom at 
the same time ; otherwise cross-pollination can not take place. One of the 
finest orchards of Northern Spy in Vermont is unproductive from lack of 
cross-pollination. Though there is a block of Greenings at one side they do 
- not help, since they are always through blooming before the flowers of 
Northern Spy open. 

We regret greatly that we are not able here to give some general in- 
formation regarding the blossoming seasons of the leading varieties of 
apples. Each fruit grower can, to a certain extent, make such observations 
for himself ; and it is strongly recommended that every man who has apple 
trees, and who expects to plant more, take notes of the dates of blooming. 

2. There is always a question as to how the pollen is transferred from 
tree to tree. No direct experiments have been made on this point by this 
station, so far as apples are concerned ; but careful field observations, the 
experiments on plums reported elsewhere’, and the experiments made by 
Waite, all support the belief that the wind has little or nothing to do with 
the usual transfer of pollen, the work being done almost wholly by bees, 
Of these, the common domestic honeybee, according to our observations in 
apple orchards, is much the most important. Certain species of wild bees 
( Andrena, etc. ) are often plentiful and do good service, but their work is 
not to be compared with that of the common bee. Many other insects,— 
flies, butterflies, etc.,—hover about the apple blossoms, but their work is of 
no importance. 

The pollen of the apple blossom, when fresh, is slightly sticky, so that, 
while it adheres quickly to the hairy bodies of the bees and is easily trans- 
ported by them from tree to tree it is not readily’ blown about by the 
wind. 

1 See page 359 of this report. 
2 See further on this point, page 362 of this report. 


366 Report oF THE HorticuLTURIST 


3. The fruit grower. will understand, therefore, how practically impor- 
tant it is to encourage the visits of the bees. Spraying at such a time and 
in such a manner as to interfere with their work is the worst possible poli- 
cy, even if such spraying did net do more damage than good to the trees 
themselves. 

Further, in planting trees to secure cross-pollination, the habits of the 
bees are to be chiefly considered, and not the prevailing winds. Not more 
than three rows of any one variety should be planted together—bhetter only 
one or two—with which some other variety or varieties should alternate. 


THE MYROBALAN PLUMS 


It has been the custom of the horticultural department of the Vermont 
experiment station, in its systematic study of plums, to give special atten- 
tion to particular groups and to present the results of these studies, from 
time to time, in the form of monographs. In this way the Wayland group, 
the Hybrid plums,’ the Domestica plums,’ and the Sand plums* have been 
dealt with. Notes have now accumulated which make it seem proper to 
attempt a brief monographic account of the Myrobalan plums. 


I. HISTORICAL NOTES 


The history of the Myrobalan plums was pretty well ransacked by 
Bailey’ in 1892. Previous to this time various botanists, including some Am 
erican writers, had attributed an American origin to the Myrobalan plum. 
Some early European authors, however, had believed these plums to belong 
to the continent of Europe. Linnzeus was one of these; and he furthermore 
assumed it to be an offshoot of the common cultivated plum of Europe, 
Prunus domestica. This opinion was shared by many of the most acute 
early European botanists, and undoubtedly presents a large measure of 
fact, though it is now more generally held separate from that species and is 
given the species name Prunus cerasifera. 

The Myrobalan plum has been known in cultivation at least since 1601, 
when it was described and figured by Clusius in his Rariorum Plantarum 
Historia. Since then it has been included under the name Myrobalan (or 


1 Monograph of the Wayland Group of Plums, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 11, p. 281-287 (1898), See 
also Gard, and For. 10, p. 350 (1897). 


2 Hybrid Plums, Vt. Sta. Bul, 67 (1898); Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12, p. 218-230 (1899). 


3 Types of European Plums in America, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12, p. 210-218 (1899). Also Early 
Botanical Views of Prunus domestica, Bot. Gaz. 26, p. 417-427 (1898). 


4 The Sand Plums, Country Gentleman 63, p. 68 (1898). 


5 Cornell Sta. Bui, 38, p. 32 (1892), 


Tae Myropanan Prius ii? 367 


Myrobolan) or cherry plum in nearly every botanical and pomological 
work touching the subject. 

In America the Myrobalan plum seems to have been known from the 
first. Coxe speaks of the Myrobalan plum in his Cultivation of Fruit 
Trees, page 232, published in Philadelphia, in 1817. Prince, in his Treatise 
on Horticulture, New York, 1828, does not mention any plum which can 
be called a Myrobalan, but this can be explained by the much abridged 
character of the work. In the Pomological Manual, published by the same 
firm, New York, 1832, the American cherry. plum and the European 
cherry plum evidently are of this group, and possibly so is the Small Mi- 
_rabelle. In the first edition of Downing’s Fruits and Fruit Trees of Amer- 
ica, New York, 1845, the Cherry plum was described as a Myrobalan, as 
was also the Mirabelle. (The latter may possibly not be a Myrobalan. ) 

These references to named varieties are of no value, however, except as 
they show that the Myrobalan plum was here in America and was under- 
stood to be aseparate thing. All the while it was propagated largely from 
seeds and used for stocks, so.that its fruit characters were not closely scruti- 
nized. : 

It was only on the appearance of the Marianna,that the interest in these 
plums was put upon the plane with others. This variety was introduced 
in 1884, from Texas, and wasaccorded a noisy and much unmerited boom 
by certain nurserymen, who succeeded in planting. it in considerable 
orchards in various widely separatéd parts of the country. As an orchard 

fruit it proved a disappointment ; but, meanwhile, various nurserymen had 
discovered that it grew readily from cuttings and made a good stock for the 
propagation of other plums, so that it continued to be extensively grown. 

Marianna has been supposed to bea hybrid between the Myrobalan . 
‘‘and some American plum, possibly the Wildgoose ; ’’! butin the view of 
the present writer, israther to be rated as a Myrobolon-Chicasaw hybrid.’ 
The spreading half thorny habit of the tree, the flowers borne several in a 
cluster, and the short stem of the fruit, are characters not common to the 

‘Myrobalan plums, but always found in the Chicasaws. 

DeCaradeuc and Hattie have been similarly classed as hybrids. The 
former seems to me to be pure Myrobalan ; and though the characters of 
the latter seem in some respects foreign to this type, particularly in the 
spreading, half thorny appearance of the tree, I can not attribute them to 
any definite extraneous source. The origin of Hattie is unknown. 

The Pissard plum has been referred to a special botanical variety of the 
myrobalan species, Prunus cerasifera pissardi,* and the name has even been 
written inthe form given to a separate species, Prunus pissardi.4 In the 


1 L. H. Bailey, Cornell Sta. Bul. 38. p. 32 (1892). 

z See Vt. Sta. Bul. 67, p. 23 (1898). 

3 Bailey, Field, Forest-and Garden Botany, revised edition, p. 145, (1895). 
4 Carriere, Rev. Hort, 1881, p. 190. - 


368 REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST 


opinion of the writer either course emphasizes too much the distinctness of 
the variety. It is better to be regarded merely as a purple-leaved. horticul- 
tural variety of the Myrobalan group. Its most striking character is in the 
‘color of its foliage ; but foliage of similar color has appeared several times 
in other seedlings of Myrobalan parentage, in hybrids of Japanese parent™ 
age, and even in pure seedlings of the common Japanese plums. 

The other varieties of this group, named and described further on, are, 
in the judgment of the writer, pure Myrobalan seedlings. 


II. PRESENT STATUS 


At present the Myrobalan plums are used chiefly, as they always have 
been, as stocks for budding or grafting other plums. Marianna is least of 
all an exception to this statement. They have many distinct advantages 
for this purpose, the principal advantage being their ready growth from 
seeds or cuttings. When stocks are grown from cuttings, as of Marianna, 
much greater uniformity is secured ; and this is a great gain. Myrobalan 
stocks are still imported in considerable quantities from France. The 
Myrobalan stocks have some weaknesses, however; as, for example, they 
are not hardy enough in the north, and they tend to dwarf certain strong 
growing varieties. For this reason nurserymen are anxiously experiment- 
‘ing in the hope of finding something better ; and some propagators, think- 
ing that something better has been found, have taken to Americana stocks 
at the north, or to peach stocks at the south. 

A few varieties have been named and propagated; but for the produc- 
tion of fruit they are generally undesirable. The blossoms seem to have an 
unusual degree of ability to withstand frost, and this gives them a certain 
value in regions where late spring freezes frequently destroy the plum crops. 
The pomological characters may be summarized as follows: Fruit round or 
slightly oval, small, with a slender stem; no suture; color light, transparent 
red or yellow, with some dots and athin bloom; skin thin; flesh soft and 
watery; stone rounded, not much flattened, cling; flavor of sugar and water, 
quality seldom good; season early; tree usually upright and clean, with 
small, oval, finely serrate, bright green leaves ; flowers appearing early, one 
or two at a node. 

The Myrobalan plums have been used to some extent in hybridizing. 
Some of the hybrids show fairly satisfactory qualities, but on the whole, 
this is one of the less promising species for hybridization. 

The following named varieties ought to be discussed in this group : 


Ill. VARIETY NOTES 
Brill.—Form spherical; size small, an inch or lessin diameter; cavity 
broad, shallow ; stem medium long, slender; suture a line; color even 
red ; dots invisible when fully ripe; bloom slight; skin thin; flesh, 


THe MyropaLtan Pius e 369 


yellow, soft, juicy ; stone, small, free ; flavor, sweetish ; quality, fair; sea- 
son early ; tree, a handsome, upright grower. 

DeCaradeuc.—Form spherical ; size medium ; cavity very shallow ; 
stem moderate ; suture a line; apex, rounded; color even red; dots a 
few large yellow ; bloom thin; skin thin; flesh yellow, rather watery ; 
stone medium size, oval, rounded, cling; flavor, sweetish but watery ; 
quality fair; season early, a week or so before Wildgoose ; tree a vigorous, 
rather upright grower. Originated with A. de Cardceuc, South Carolina, 
about 1850, being a seedling from some French plums. 

Frostproof.—Form spherical; size small; suture a fine line; color 
dark crimson ; dots many, minute ; bloom thin; skin medium thick and 
firm; flesh yellow, more or less streaked with red, unusually firm and 
meaty; stone small, smooth, cling; flavor sweet; quality good to very gocd; 
season early July in Missouri. Introduced by J. H. G. Jenkins, Spring 
Garden, Mo., in 1898. One of the best of this group, except for its small 
size. . Appreciated by the introducer for the fact that the blossoms seldom 
suffer from late frosts. 

Hattie.—Fruit round or a little elongated ; size smallshort; cavity 
shallow; stem slender; suture a line; color dull metallic transpar- 
ent red ; dots many, conspicuous; bloom thin; skin thin, tough; flesh 
yellow, soft and watery ; stone medium size, rounded, cling; quality only 
fair ; season early, about with De Caradenc; tree rather dwarfish, spread- 
ing ; origin unknown. 

Hogg’s No. 2.—Probably the same as Marianna. 

Marianna.—Frait spherical or nearly so; size small to medium, some- 
times an inch and a halfin diameter ; cavity very shallow; stem medium ; 
suture a line only; apex rounded; color bright, transparent red ; dots 
several, mediuin large; bloom medium; skin thin; flesh yellow, soft 
and stringy; stone rounded, smooth, turgid, cling; flavor sweetish, like 
sugar and water; quality poor to fair; season medium early, about with 
Wildgoose. Originated with Charles G. Fitze, Marianna, Polk county, 
Texas, and introduced in 1884 by Charles N. Kley, Smith Point, Texas ; 
was boomed by some not-too-scrupulous nurserymen and widely sold, but 
is now seldom or never planted except for stocks. 

Pissard.—Fruit spherical, about an inch in diameter ; cavity medium 
deep ; stem slender, medium long; suture a dark line; color dark dull 
red at maturity ; dots hardly visible ; bloom thin; skin thin and tender; 
flesh soft, rather stringy, red; flavor sweetish, watery; quality fair to 
good ; season early ; tree a fairly vigorous grower, upright vase-form, with 
large healthy foliage, the leaves bright purplish red ; desirable for its foli- 
age. The Pissard plum was named with the botanical name Prunus pis- 
sardi (a distinction it does not deserve), after M. Pissard, the French gard- 
ener to the Shah of Persia, who sent it to Europe about 1880. It is said to 


370. REPORT OF THE. HORTICULTURIST 


have originated at Tauris, near Teheran, in Northern Persia.! (See page 
367). 
Tarleton.—Form round; size small; cavity shallow; stem medium ; 
suture aline; apex adot; color even red; dots invisible when fruit is 
ripe ; bloom thin; skin thin but firm ; flesh soft, somewhat watery, yel- 
low; stone small, cling; flavor sweetish; quality fair; season very 
early ; tree somewhat irregular and spreading, but vigorous. This variety 
igs much like what is known in some parts of the west under the name of 
Early Cherry. 

Tomato.—Form spherical; size small to medium; cayity shallow ; 
stem short, slender; suture none; color dark red; dots very minute ; 
bloom thin; skin thin; flesh soft, yellow; stone large, oval, flattened, 
cling ; quality poor to fair; season medium. A new variety, seedling of 
Pissard, originating with A. L. Bruce, Basin Springs, Tex. Not yet tested. 


PLUM TREE CANKER 


European horticulturists have long had to deal with various fruit tree 
diseases which they have grouped under the general name of canker. In 
thiscountry we have had little trouble with similar diseases. The first 
trouble to gain any general notice under the name of canker, has been the 
malady of the apple tree, which has been frequently mentioned during the 
last two or three years.” The present writer has figured and described a 
canker of peach trees,* very similar to the plum tree canker herewith re-. 
corded. Selby has recorded,‘ under the name of gummosis, what.seems to 
be the plum tree canker and the peach tree canker in their early stages. 
Doubtless much of the trouble mentioned in horticultural and mycological 
literature as gummosis’ is really this canker. The Nectria canker of plum 
trees mentioned by the Duke of Bedford and S&S. U. Pickering® is probably 
different from that here under consideration. 

The canker of plum trees is to be distinguished from gummosis as fol- 
lowing it and being often the result of it. Gummosis consists inthe mere 
exudation of gum from any wound, and it frequently occurs in all the stone 
fruits. When wounds of peach or plum remain unhealed for some time, 
either as a result of the gum-flow or from any other cause, the surrounding 
tissues become blackened, hardened, as it were corroded, so that the usual 
processes of healing do not progress in the normal manner. While the sur- 
rounding parts continue to grow, the cankered portions remain dead, black- 
ened and sunken below the adjacent green portions. In extreme cases the 


1 See Garden and Forest 1, p..178 (1888). 

2 See especially Paddock, N. Y. State Exp. Sta. Bul. 163 (1899). 

3 Country Gentleman 65, p. 324 (1900). 

4 Ohio Exp. Sta. Bul. 79, p. 121 (1897). 

5 See especially Beach, Am. Gard. 19, p. 606 (1808), 

6 Woburn Exp. Fruit Farm Rpt. 1897, p. 164, Exp. Sta. Rec. 9, p. 761 (1898). 


es 


~ 


Pium TREE CANKER 871° 


branch is finally killed. Itis to these blackened, unhealed, unhealing 
spots that the term canker should be specifically applied. 


ee ee a EE a a ae ee ea ee a 
PLUM TREE CANKER 


This disease hasbeen studied for three years inthe field ; and micro- 
scopic examinations have been made for me by Mr. M. B. Waite of the 
United States Department of Agriculture, and by Mr. L. R. Jones, the 
botanist of this station. The microscope study has not revealed the pres- 
ence of any fungi or bacteria which could be called the cause of the disease; 
and the field observation confirms the opinion that some other origin isto 


be ascribed to it. It seems, rather, that when any wound occurs to a branch 


ofa plum tree, especially to any variety which has soft, coarse-grained 


- wood, there follows asort of bleeding, usually running quickly into the 


typical gum-flow, which seriously hinders the normal formation of cambium 
for healing the hurt. Limbs broken or bruised by hail stones, cut by in- 
sects, pruned by the knife, broken by fruit, rubbed in crossing, or peeled 
by cultivator or harness, may develop canker spots at the point of injury. 
In the most usual course of events, however, the trouble begins in an 
attack ofthe so-called brown. fruit rot, (Monilia fructigena). This fungus 
worksin the tissues, especially attacking the fruiting spurs, which are 
often killed outright. Usually these small dead spurs begin to exude gum 
and the ordinary gummosis supervenes, to be followed in turn by the more 
conspicuous canker spots. Sometimes, however, there is no visible gum- 


372 REPORT OF THE HorTICULTURIST 


flow ; but the dead fruit spurs stop growing, (naturally) and do not heal, - 
developing the typical cankers without the intervention of gummosis. 

Next to the monilia, the most common cause of the canker, according 
to our observations, is the disease known as plum pockets, ( Hxoascus spp. ). 
The pockets appear on young fruits, on leaves, and on young shoots. The 
worst cases are those on the shoots. When young shoots are killed back to 
the parent stem, wounds are left very similar to those caused by the killing 
of fruit spurs by the monilia. From these the canker follows in the same 
way. The two stems at the left in the illustration, are of Whitaker, and 
show the first stages of canker following the death of small shoots from 
pockets. The third stem from the left is Kelsey, and shows a canker of one 
years’ standing, caused by the killing of a fruit spur by monilia. The 
stem at the right is Satsuma, showing a canker of two years’ standing, 
caused also by the death of a fruit spur from monilia. 

Naturally the canker is much worse on some varieties than on others, 
worse some seasons than others, and worse in some localities than in others. 
Those varieties suffer most, which are most attacked by monilia and exoas- 
cus, (the brown rot and plum pockets fungi). It is impossible to give here 
a list of varieties most susceptible to these diseases ; but in a general way, it 
may be said that the Japanese and Sand plums (Prunus augustusfolia 
watson) are very apt to suffer severely from monilia, and the Nigra plums 
suffer worst from pockets. The Japanese plums succumb on account of 
their soft and coarse-grained, peach-like wood ; and, being thus for two rea- 
sons, specially apt to be troubled with canker, are the plums which are 
most severely attacked. The Sand plums, though very severely attacked 
by monilia, do not canker readily on account of their very hard, close- 
grained wood. The cankers are naturally worse in years when these causa- 
tive fungus diseases are most prevalent, though the canker spots are usually 
more conspicuous the year after. Localities which are much subject to the 
monilia and the exoascus are most troubled with canker. The canker has 
been found more or less, however, in all orchards examined, from Mary- 
land to Vermont, though it seems to be worse in southern latitudes. 

As the canker is not directly of fungus origin, but is rather one of the © 
so-called ‘‘physiological’’ diseases, spraying cannot be expected to serve as 
aremedy. After the cankers appear, the only way to rid the tree of them 
is with the pruning knife. Inasmuch as they are not of fungus origin, 
however, they are not propagated by spores ; and the removal and burning 
of the canker spots is not so imperative as is the removal of black knots, 
fruits mummied with monilia, or twigs killed by pockets. 

The proper treatment of the canker, however, is evidently preventive, 
and consists principally in arresting the spread of the brown rot fungus 
(monilia) and of the pocket-making fungi; (exoascus). These diseases 
being of fungus origin, may be reached by spraying with bordeaux mixture, 


Prum Tree CANKER 373 


which should be applied early in the spring, before the buds start. As 
these diseases are more fully dealt with in other publications of this station, 
where the proper remedies are also prescribed, it will not be necessary to 
follow this part of the subject further. 


a a x ' 
Lt aM HA 


UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 
AND STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 


VERMONT AGRICULTURAL 


EXPERIMENT STATION 


BULLETIN No. 75 


JANUARY, 1900 


Check List of Hybrid Plums 


FREE PRESS ASSOCIATION, PRINTERS AND BINDERS. 


ORGANIZATION 


BOARD OF CONTROL 


Pres. M. H. BUCKHAM, ex-officio, Burlington. 
Hon. E. J. ORMSBEE, Brandon. 

Hon. CASSIUS PECK, Burlington. 

Hon. G. 8. FASSETT, Enosburgh. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION 


L. HILLS, Director. 

H. PERKINS, Entomologist. 

R. JONES, Botanist. 

A. WAUGH, Horticulturist. 

F, A. RICH, Veterinarian. 
CASSIUS: PECK, Farm Superintendent. 
C. H. JONES, Chemist. 

B. O. WHITE, Assistant Chemist. 
G. W. STRONG, Dairyman. 
MARY A. BENSON, Stenographer. 
E. H. POWELL, Treasurer. 


J. 
G. 
L. 
F. 


g@s-Copies of the reports and bulletins of the station are sent free of 
charge to any address upon application. 


ge@s> Address all communications, not to individual officers, but to the 
Experiment Station, Burlington, Vt. 


Director’s office, chemical and horticultural laboratories are at the Ex- 
periment station building, at the head of Main street ; botanical and ento- 
mological laboratories are at Williams Science Hall, University place. 


Experiment farm and buildings are on the Williston road, adjoining 
the University grounds on the east. 


~~ 
=. 


¢ bey 
oe ae 


eae Sth — “BULLETIN 75: CHECK LIST OF HYBRID PLUMS 


a - fr 
() ¢ 


2 
e 


a By F. A. WavuaH 

A considerable number of hybrid plums have been recently introduced 
to the American trade, and many more are about to be. It is worth while 
for all pomologists to keep informed concerning them. It is especially de- 
sirable that the nurserymen, should have at hand all the necessary facts 
when issuing their catalogues ; for the nurserymen, through their catalogues 
and their dealings with tree planters, have a greater influence than any 
other class of men in spreading a knowledge of varieties. Their influence 
is especially marked in determining the names by which varieties shall be 
called. 

These considerations have led the Vermont experiment station to pre- 
pare the following check list of varieties of hybrid plums particularly for 
the use of nurserymen and cataloguers. The Vermont experiment station, 
for reasons which it is not necessary to discuss here, has directed special 
effort in its horticultural department to the study of the hybrid plums. Two 
publications on this subject have already been issued, (Bulletin 67 and Re- 
port 12), discussing the questions of hybridity from the scientific point of 
view, and describing in detail practically all the named hybrid plums in 


- existence in America today. A limited ndmber of these publications is 


still held for general distribution, and those who care to see such discus- 
sions and descriptions should apply for them at an early date. 

The following check list contains, as far as possible, the following data 
respecting each variety : 


1. The name.—The name itself will be useful to nurserymen in deci- 
phering labels of other dealers or in preparing correct labels for their own 
stock. Besides the name there is given, in the line immediately following, 
the name of the horticulturist who applied the name in question to this par- 
ticular variety. This is in accordance with the best practices of nomencla- 
ture. Synonyms are given in italics. 


2. The original publication.—In the second line of each paragraph is 
given the reference to the original publication of the name. This usually 
includes, of course, the original description, but not always. 


3. Vermont publications.—When the original publication of a variety 
name did not occur in the bulletins or reports of this experiment station 
references are given in the third line of each paragraph to the various notes 
and descriptions published by us.! 


I. It may be best to explain the system of referenecs. Thus: ‘‘Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:5. 1898.” 
means that the variety under discussion was noted in Vermont experiment station bulletin 
No 67, page 5, which was distributed in 1898. ‘‘ Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:220. 1900.”’ refers to Ver-. 
mont experiment station annual report No. 12, page 220, the horticulturist’s separates 
of which were distributed January 6, 1900. Other references are arranged in the same 
manner. 


102 BULLETIN 75 


4. Origin and introduction.—These facts are always of value to the nur- 
seryman, and are included wherever possible. 


5. Parentage.—It is not often possible to say with absolute certainty 
what the parentage of a hybrid plum is, but usually it may be pretty closely 
estimated. Almost every one of these varieties has been carefully studied 
by the writer, and his best:present judgment as tothe parentage of each is 
included with the other data of the check list. 


Notre.—It will be seen in the following check list that frequent reference has 
been made to the catalogues of nurserymen. Such catalogues—especially when 
properly dated—are always of service to us. We therefore earnestly request all 
nurserymen to send us copies of their publications from year to year. We would 
deem it a still greater kindness if we might be informed by letter of any other hybrid 
plums not now included in our lists. 


ALPHABETICAL CHECK LIST 


ALABAMA (Normand’s No. 5:) 
Bailey, Cornell Sta. Bul. 175: 154. 1899. 
Vt. Sta, Rpt. 12: 220. 1900. 
Originated and privately distributed by J. L. Normand, Louisana. 
Japanese x Chicasaw, probably. 


ALHAMBRA 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:5. 1898. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not introduced. 
Satsuma x Agen. 


ALLFRUIT 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 5. 1898. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Simon plum. 


AMERICA 
Burbank, New Creations 1898: 3. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 5. 1898; Rpt. 12: 220. 1900. ’ 
Originated with Luther Burbank, and sent out by him in 1898. 
Japanese x Chicasaw. 
AMES 
Craig, lowa State Register, December, 1899. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 220. 1900. ' 
Americana x Japanese. 


Cueck List or Hysrip PLuMs 103 


APPLE 
Burbank, New Creations 1898 : 2. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 6. 1898; Rpt. 12: 220. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank, and sent out by him in 1898. 
Japanese crossed with some unknown species. 


BARTLETT 
Burbank, Rural New Yorker 57: 653. = 1898. 
Vt. ota. Bul. 6727. 1898 ; Rpt. 12.3221.) 1900. 
Originated by Burbank, but not generally introduced yet. 
Japanese x Simon plum. 


BESTOV ALL 
Munson, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:7. 1898. 
Originated with T. V. Munson, Denison, Tex. Not introduced. 
Miner pollinated with Abundance. 


BLACKMAN 
VanDeman, U.S. D, A. Rpt. 1886: 261. 
A peach-plum hybrid which bears no fruit, but is propagated by a few 
nurserymen. 


BRECK 
Ramsey, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:7. 1898. 
Visctae Rpt. 12 7821.” 1900. 
Originated with Joseph Breck, Tex., and introduced by F. T. Ramsey, 
Austin, Tex., 1899. 
Japanese x Wildgoose, probably. 


CAPER 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 221. 1900, 
Originated with J. 8. Breece, N. C.. Not yet introduced. 
Japanese x Pissard, perhaps. 


CEL 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 8. 1898. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not yet introduced. 
Myrobalan x Wickson. 


CHALCO 
Burbank, New Creations 1898 : 4. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:8. 1898, 
Originated with Luther Burbank, and introduced by him in 1898. 
Simon plum x Burbank. 


CHICRIGLAND 
Munson, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:9. 1898. 
Originated by T. V. Munson, Tex. Not introduced. 
Chicasaw x Prunus glandulosa x some member of the Wayland group. 


104 BuLLETIN 75 


‘CLIMAX 
Burbank, Rural New Yorker 57:818. 1898. 
Named Royal by VanDeman, R. N. Y. 57:653. 1898. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:9. 1898. Rpt. 12:222. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank, and sent out in 1899. 
Japanese x Simon plum. 


& 
COLEUS 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:10. 1898. 
_ Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:222. 1900. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C., but not yet introduced. 
Japanese x Pissard, perhaps. 


COMPASS CHERRY 
H. Knudson, Minn. Hort. 1896:132. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:10. 1898; Rpt. 12:222. 1900. 
Originated with H. Knudson, Minnesota. 
Miner plum x Prunus pumila besseyi. 


CORY MBUS 
Waugh, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:222. 1900. 
Originated by A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not yet introduced. 
Japanese x Myrobalan, probably. 


CULBERSON 
Waugh, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:223. 1900. 
Originated by A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not yet introduced. 
Miner x Crimson Beauty, probably. 


DAISY 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:223. 1900. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Chicasaw x Japanese. . 


DANIEL WEEPING 
Normand, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:10. 1898. 
Originated with Dr. Daniel, and privately distributed a few years ago 
by J. L. Normand, La. 
Parentage doubtful, but apparently hybrid. 


EXCELSIOR 
Taber, Catalogue 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:11. 1898. 
Originated with G. L. Taber, Glen St. Mary, Fla., and introduced by 
him. 
Japanese x Wildgoose. 


Cyeck List or Hysrip Piums 105 


FOREWATTAMIE 
Williams, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:11. 1898. 
Originated with Theo. Williams, Neb. Privately distributed. 
Americana x Chicasaw ; i. e., Forest Garden x Pottawattamie. 


FRANKLIN 
Bruce, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:223. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Chicasaw, probably. 


GARNET : 
ipreece, US. DA. "Porm. Rpt. 1895-45, 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:11. 1898; Rpt. 12:223. 1900. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Pissard, perhaps. 


GEORGIA. (Normand’s No. 20.) 
Bailey, Cornell Sta. Bul. 175:153. 1899. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:224. 1900, 
Originated with J. L. Normand, La. Privately distributed a few years 
ago. 
Japanese x Wildgoose or Chicasaw. 
Gold.—See Golden. : 


GOLDEN 

Burbank, New Canter 1893:17: 

Afterward named Gold by Stark Bros., Cat. 1896. 

Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:12. 1898; Rpt. 12:224. 1900. 

Originated by Luther Burbank. Introduced by Stark Bros., Louinsi- 
ana, Mo., in 1896. 

Japanese x Chicasaw. 

There is another and older variety of the Americana class named Gold. 
To save confusion this one should always be written Golden.. Even 
this is bad enough. 


GONZALES 
Ramsey, Catalogue 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:13. 1898. 
Originated at Gonzales, Tex., about 1894, and introduced by F. T. Ram- 
sey, Austin, Tex. 
Japanese x Hortulana. 


GOV ALLE 
Ramsey, Catalogue 1898. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:14. 1898; Rpt. 12:224. 1900. 
Originated with Joseph Breck, Tex. Introduced by F. T, Ramsey 
Austin, Tex. . 
Japanese x Chicasaw, probably. 


106 Buuuetin 75 


GRAYSON 
J.S. Kerr, Catalogue 1898:7. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:225. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Introduced by J. S. Kerr, Sherman, 
Tex., in 1898. 
Thought to be a hybrid of Wildgoose with Prunus americana. 


HALCYON 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:225. 1900. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Chicasaw. 


HOLLAND 
Yates, Circular 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:14. 1898. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Tex. Introduced in 1897 by W. A. 
Yates, Tex. 
Japanese x Chicasaw. 


JUICY 
Burbank, New Creations 1893 : 20. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:15. 1898. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Introduced by John Lewis Childs 
in 1894. 
Chicasaw x Japanese. 


LANNIX 
Breece, U. 8S. D. A.Pom. Rpt. 1895 : 45. 
Vt. Sta. Bul 67:15. 1898. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Thought to be Abundance x Wildgoose. 
LATE CONICAL 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 16. 1898. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 225. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not yet introduced. 
Japanese x Simon plum. 
LOUISIANA (Normand’s No. 15) 
Bailey, Cornell Sta. Bul. 139 :377. 1897. 
Vt, Sta. Bul. 67:16. 1898. 
Originated with J. L. Normand, La., and privately distributed. 
Japanese x Hortulana or Chicasaw. 
MARBLE 
Bruce, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 225. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not introduced. 
Miner x Crimson Beauty,—thought to be. 


CuHeck Lisr or Hysrin PLuMms 107 


MARIANNA 
This well known variety is probably a hybrid between the Myrobalan 
plum and some Chicasaw variety. 


MARYLAND 
J. W. Kerr, Catalogue 1896. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:17. 1898. 
Originated and introduced by J. W. Kerr, Denton, Md. 
A seedling of Utah Hybrid, which see. 


MAYNARD 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 226. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Simon plum. 


MINNIE 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:17. 1898. 
Originated with J. 8S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Probably Abundance pollinated with Wildgoose. 


MONOLITH 
Breece, U. S. D. A. Pom. Rpt. 1895 : 46. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:17. 1898. 
Originated withJ. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Hortulana, probably. 


MULE 
J. W. Kerr, Catalogue 1896. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:17. 1898. 
Originated with J. W. Kerr, Denton, Md., and sent out by him in 
1896 under the above name. 
A hybrid of Wildgoose plum with Troth Early peach. Never fruits. 
Kept as a curiosity in some collections. 


NIKKO 
Burbank, Special Circular, 1898. 
Win Sta eu O72 18. 01898.) ") 
Originated by Luther Burbank, and sent out by him in 1898. 
Parentage doubtful. 


NONA 
Yates, Circular 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 226. 1900. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Tex. Introduced by W. A. Yates, 
Tex. 
Japanese x Chicasaw. 


1c8 BULLERIN 7d 


OCCIDENT 

Waugh, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:229. 1900. 

Called Sultan by Burbank, New Creations 1899-8. 

Originated with Luther Burbank, and sent out by him in 1899. 

Japanese crossed with some unknown species. 

The name Sultan had been previously used for another variety, (See 

- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees, Appendix, p. 157). For this. 

reason the writer has given the name Occident, which should be 
substituted for Sultan in nursery and orchard lists. 


OLLIE 
Bruce, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12:226. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Basin Springs, Tex., but not yet intro- 
duced. 
Wayland x Wildgoose, according to the originator. 


PENDENT 
Williams, Catalogue of J. W. Kerr 1898 : 19. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:18. 1898. 
Originated with Theo. Williams, Nebr., and introduced by J. W. Kerr, 
Denton, Md. 
Said to be Pottawattamie pollinated by Forest Garden. 


PENNOCK 
Pennock, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 18., 1898. 
Originated with Chas. E. Pennock, Fort Collins, Colo. — 
Rocky Mountain Cherry thought to be pollinated with (Moore’s). 
Arctic. 


. 


PRESERVER 
Yates, Circular, 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:18. 1898. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Tex. Introduced by W. A. Yates, Tex. 
Kelsey x Early Red (Chicasaw). 


PRESIDENT. 
Waugh, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12 +226. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not yet introduced. 
Seedling of Wickson. 


PRESLEY 
Bruce, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 227. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not introduced. 
Probably Miner x Wayland. 


‘Creck List or Hysrip Piums | 109 


RAGLAND 
Yates, Circular 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67: 19,1898 ; Rpt. 12; 227. . 1900. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Tex. Introduced by W. A. Yates, Tex. 
Supposed to be Kelsey pollinated with Yellow Transparent, (Chic- 
asaw ). 
RAY 
Bruce, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 227. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not introduced. 
Miner x Wildgoose, perhaps. 


RED MAY 
J.S. Kerr, Catalogue 1898. | 
Vt. Sta. Rpt.12 : 227. -1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Introduced by J. S. Kerr, Tex. 
Said to be from seed of Abundance fertilized with Wildgoose. 


Royal—see Climax. 


RUBY ; : 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:19. 1898. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12 : 228. 1900. 
Originated with J.S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Hortulana. 


SATIN 
Breece, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 228. 1900. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Thought to be hybrid of Moreman with Japanese. 


SCRIBNER 
Breece, U. S. D. A. Pom. Rpt. 1895: 46. 
Wieeen, bul..67: 19. 1898s Rpt. 12: 228. 1900. 
Originated with J. 8. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Hortulana x Japanese. 


SHIRO 
Burbank, New Creations 1899: 11. 
Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 228. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank, and sent out by him in 1899. 
Robinson x Myrobalan x Wickson. 


SIROCCO 
Breece, U.S. D. A. Pom. Rpt. | 1895 : 47. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:19. 1898. 
Originated with J. S. Breece, N. C. Not introduced. 
Said by the originator to be Abundance x Marianna. 


Sultan—see Occident. 


110 BuLuETiIn 75 


UTAH HYBRID 
Johnson. Original publication unknown. 
Originated with J. E. Johnson at Wood River, Nebr. 
Thought to be a hybrid of Prunus pumila besseyi x P. angustifolia 
watsoni. 


VIRGIE 
Bruce, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 229. 1900. 
Originated with A. L. Bruce, Tex. Not introduced. 
Thought to be Miner x Crimson Beauty. 


VULCAN 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 229. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not introduced. 
Japanese x Simon plum. 


WATSON 
Yates, Circular 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul. 67:21. 1898. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Tex. Introduced by W. A. Yates, Tex. 
From Kelsey seed thought to have been pollinated by Lonestar. 


WICKSON 

Burbank, Catalogue 1894. 

Vt. Sta. Bul; 67:21. 1898; Rpt. 12: 229. 1900: 

Originated with Luther Burbank, and first sent out by him as a cross- 
bred variety of pure Japanese parentage. It is certainly crossed, 
however, with Prunus simonii, as Mr. Burbank himself now thinks, 
and should be classified with the hybrids and not with the Japan- 
ese varieties, as is usually done by nurserymen. 


YATES 
Yates, Circular, 1897. 
Vt. Sta. Bul 67%22.-) 1898. 
Originated with D. H. Watson, Tex. Introduced by W. A. Yates, Tex. 
From Kelsey, thought to be pollinated by Lonestar. 
ZULU 
Burbank, Vt. Sta. Rpt. 12: 230. 1900. 
Originated with Luther Burbank. Not yet introduced. 
Parentage unknown. 


THE STATE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 


THE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 


BULLETIN NO SO. 


—_o <> «—_ 


Notes on Plum Culture. 


—0 <> -«—— 


Approved by the Statzon Counczl, 
ALSTON ELLIS, President. 


FORT COLLINS, COLORADO. 


DECEMBER, 1808. 


Bulletins will be sent to all residents of Colorado, interested in any branch of 
Agriculture, free of charge. Non-residents, upon application, can secure copies not 
needed for distribution within the State, The editors of newspapers to whom the 
Station pubications are sent are respectfully requested to make mention of the 


same in their columns. Address all communications to the 
DIRECTOR OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION, 
Fort Collins, Colorado, 


AIEEE RT REA 
EXPRESS, FORT COLLINS 


THE AGRIGULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, 


FORT COLLINS, COLORADO. 


THE STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 
TERM 
eel 


HON. M. A. LEDDY, - - : - " = Manitou, 

HON. A. 8S. BENSON, - - - - . 2 Loveland, -' 1899 
HON. JAMES L. CHATFIELD, . - : - Gypsum, - = 908 
HON. A. LINDSLEY KELLOGG, - - - - Rocky Ford, - J1901 
HON. B. F. ROCKAFELLOW, - - . : Canon City, - 1903 
MRS. HLIZA F. ROUTT, - - - - - - Denver, 1903 
HON. JOHN J. RYAN, : : : . : - ‘Fort Collins, - 1905 
HON. P. F. SHARP, - . . - - : - Pueblo, - - ©7905 


GOVERNOR ALVA ADAMS, t ex-officio 
PRESIDENT ALSTON ELLIS, E 


EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN CHARGE. 


A. L. KELLOGG, CHarrMan. ALSTON ELLIS, JOHN J. RYAN, 
P. F. SHARP, B. F. ROCKAFELLOW. 


STATION COUNCIL. 


ALSTON ELLIS, A. M., Pa. D., LL. D., : - PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR 
L. G. CARPENTER, M.S., - METEOROLOGIST AND IRRIGATION ENGINEER 
C. S. CRANDALL, M. &., 5 - - HorRTICULTURIST AND BOTANIST 
C. P. GILLETTEH, M.S., - . . . . - : - ENTOMOLOGIST 
WELLS W. COOKE, B.S., A. M., - : : . - AGRICULTURIST 
WILLIAM P. HEADDEN, A. M., Pu. ni “ . - - - CHEMIST 
J. KE. DuBOIS, - - - - - : - SECRETARY | 


FRANK HL. THOMPSON, B. S., STENOGRAPHER. 


ASSISTANTS. 
ROBERT E. TRIMBLE, B.S., - Metrrzorouocist ann IRRIGATION ENGINEER 


FRANK L. WATROUS,- - . aoe - - : - AGRICULTURIST 
LOUIS AY TEST. By ME. ASO. Oo . : : - - - CHEMIST 
ELMER D. BALL, B. S., s - . - - - ENTOMOLOGIST 


SUB-STATIONS. 


HARVEY H. GRIFFIN, B. S., - , SUPERINTENDENT 
Arkansas Valley Station, Rocky Ford, oieicdee 
J. E. PAYNE, M. S., - SUPERINTENDENT 


Rain-Belt Staton: Chivers Wells, Colorado. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


BY CHARLES S. CRANDALL. 


Prefatory note on the application of horticultural rules. 


There are certain general rules in the practice of horti- 
culture that are capable of wide application. If we say that 
cherry trees should never be planted on wet or mucky soil, 
we state a general rule, equally applicable to any section of 
the country. 

- There are certain other rules, such as those governing 
the choice of varieties, selection of stocks, season for and 
manner of budding or grafting, time of planting and fre- 
quency of irrigation, that may be called specific rules. These 
are of necessity local incharacter and may be quite restricted 
in application. 

Possibly no state presents greater diversity in local con- 
ditions that govern horticultural practice than does Colo- 
rado. Not only do wide differences exist between eastern 
and western sides of the Continental Divide, but either slope 
may be divided into sections that would warrant considera- 
ble differences in practice on many points, and then, each 
section may have peculiarities that would subdivide it. Even 
the differences between the two banks of a stream, or the 
varying soil conditions of two adjoining farms, may present 
factors that modify successful practice. 

If a man moves from one section to another he will 
naturally attempt to grow the varieties and follow the meth- 
ods with which he is familiar. He meets failure in many 
particulars and after a time learns by experience that his 
new surroundings call for different methods and likely differ- 
ent varieties. It has always been the experience in new 
countries that the pioneers in horticultural work made mis- 
takes which they found expensive and discouraging, but by 
persistence they learned to avoid the early errors and finally 


4 NOTES.-ONOPLUM CULTURE, 


achieved success. Later comers can, and should, profit by 
the experience of these pioneers. The methods they have 
found successful can be safely followed, no matter how they 
differ from those successfully practiced elsewhere. 

The specific rules to which I here refer are often dis- 
cussed in public, and frequently the views expressed are 
very diverse. Two men may discuss a particular practice, 
each persistent in holding his honestly expressed conviction, 
derived from personal experience, to be the only correct 
one. Each knows he is right and no amount of discussion 
will bring them to the same view. —The newcomer seeking 
information is confused by the opposite views so strenuously 
contended for. Transactions of societies and the horticultu- 
ral press bear evidence that such discussions are not infre- 
quent. The writer is of the opinion that in many cases 
these discussions do more harm than good, or are at least 
profitless, because they are dropped with the differences un- 
explained. Inquiry will often bring out differences in the 
local conditions under which the experiences have been ac- 
quired that will fully account for the diverse views expressed. 

The idea that I would emphasize and urge upon those 
who contemplate entering upon horticulture as a business is, 
that a careful study should be made of all the conditions 
surrounding the particular place chosen. Sum up the ex- 
perience of the pioneers, consider the lability to late spring 
frosts, and early fall frosts, to storms and winds. Examine 
into the water supply, soil, subsoil, slope, exposure, direc- 
tion of prevailing winds, and every other feature that may 
have bearing upon future success. Attention to these factors 
will enable intelligent action, saving expense and avoiding 
disappointment. 

Iam lead to dwell in some detail upon this matter of 
the application of specific rules because so many requests 
for advice on the points enumerated are constantly being 
received. Usually inquiries are unaccompanied by any 
statement of local conditions or aims in view, and it is diff- 
cult, often impossible, to give the desired information ex- 
cept in the most general terms, and this is unsatisfactory 
both to the writer and to the seeker after information. 


DERIVATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF OUR PLUMS. 


The genus Prunus as now constituted embraces those 
species from which have been developed all our stone fruits, 
Almonds, Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums and Cher- 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 5 


ries. Its representatives are widely distributed over the 
earth and the number of species as given by different au- 
thors varies greatly. Bentham and Hooker in their Genera 
Plantarum place the number at about eighty. A later work, 
the Index Kewensis, recognizes 121 species, and records 290 
names as synonyms. ‘The 121 species here considered valid 
are distributed as follows: , 

Eastern hemisphere 87 species, 15 of which are credited 
to Japan and 12 to China. Western hemisphere 32 species, 
21 of which belong to the United States and the region 
north. Seven are credited to Mexico and four to South > 
America and the West Indies. Iwo species are recorded 
as of unknown origin. ; 

Our American manuals record species of the genus as 
follows: 

Botany of California (1876), 6 species. 

Chapman’s Flora of the Southern States (1883), 7 spe- 
cles. 

Coulter’s Manual of the Rocky Mountain Region (1885), 
especies; t Variety.) - 

Gray's Manual, 6th Ed. (1890), 10 species, 1 introduced 
variety. 

Coulter’s Flora of Texas (1891), 8 species. 

The Britton and Brown Flora (1807), 16 native, 4 intro-. 
duced species, 2 native and 1 introduced varieties. 

Taken together these floras recognize 27 native and 4 
introduced species, and 3 native and one introduced varie- 
ties. 

Of the native representatives of the genus, 16 species 
and 1 variety are true plums, or of such close affinity as to 
readily class with them, while 11 species and two varieties 
are cherries or belong with the cherry group. Nearly all 
the species enumerated in the manuals are, or have been at 
some time, introduced into gardens and cultivated, either for 
their fruits or as ornamentals, but the varieties now cata- 
logued by nurserymen and grown in orchard, represent but 
few species. Of the native cherries only the shrubby sand- 
cherries (Prunus pumila, P. Besseyt, and P. cuneata) are 
grown for fruit. The Wild Red Cherry (7. Pennsylvantca ) 
is occasionally used as a stock upon which the common sour 
cherries, of European origin, are grafted; it has also been 
used to a limited extent as a stock for some of the plums. 

Of the native plum group, three species (P. Americana, 
P. hortulana with its variety A/znzert, and P. angustifolza) 
have furnished nearly all of the cultivated varieties. The 
Beach plum (7. mar7¢ima) is the parent of but one variety of 


6 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


doubtful value. The Mariana so largely used for stocks, 
and the De Caradeuc are closely related, but of uncertain 
origin. A few varieties are probably hybrids, although the 
manner in which most of them originated is more a matter 
of speculation than of definite knowledge. There are still 
other varieties that cannot even be classed as hybrids and 
whose ancestry is likely to remain undetermined. Profes- 
sor Bailey of Cornell, who has given the whole plum group 
careful study, arranges the native varieties into groups as 
follows:* 

The American Group—Prunus Americana. 

The Wild Goose Group—/Prunus hortulana. 

The Miner Group—/Prunus hortulana var. Minerz. 

The Chicasaw Group—Prunus angustifolva. 

The Mariana Group—Of uncertain origin. De Cara- 
deuc assigned to Prunus cerastfera, and Mariana thought to 
be a hybrid. 

The Beach Plun—Prunus maritima. 

The Wild Plum of the Pacific Coast—Prunus subcordata. 

Hybrids, unclassified varieties—Of uncertain origin. 


Our foreign introductions belong to two groups: 


The European Plums, such as Lombard, Green Gage, 
and the numerous prunes—Pvunus domestica. 

The Japanese Plums—/Prunus trzflora. 

While the European plums can be grown in some sec- 
tions, the tender nature of the fruit buds makes them uncer- 
tain on the eastern slope, except in favored localities, and 
dependence must be placed mainly upon the Americana var- 
ieties. In the fruit districts of the western slope the Wild 
Goose is eminently successful and stands at the head of the 
list of profitable varieties, but it is probably too tender for 
the eastern slope, certainly for the northern and central 
districts. 

In general throughout the West the native plums are 
proving profitable. Even in districts where the domestica 
varieties are successfully grown, the native red plums sell 
in competition with -them, and at remunerative prices. 
While it may be admitted that most native varieties are in- 
ferior in size and flavor to those of the domestica class it, 
should be remembered that the extended introduction of 
the natives is comparatively recent, that the improvement 
in them has been rapid, and that they offer wonderful possi- 
bilities: inthe direction of future development. All the 


* See bul etin No. 38, Cornell Experiment Station. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 7 


better varieties are very productive. Some show a strong 
tendency to excessive production, a habit which if allowed 
to go unchecked, not only gives inferior fruit, but tends to 
shorten the life of the tree. With such varieties systematic 
thinning must be practiced in order to insure regular crops, 
and fruit of the largest size and best flavor. Then, having 
produced good fruit, if the grower will exercise the same 
care in handling that is given other fruits, and will place 
them on the market in the same attractive packages, the 
demand which already exists will be greatly stimulated. 


PROPAGATION OF THE PLUM. 


Most varieties of plums have come to us as seedlings 
selected and retained because of their good qualities; they 
show development or variation from wild types in varying 
degree, but with all, the departure is such that we can not 
reproduce them through the seed, and in order to maintain 
them we are forced to adopt other means. 

All varieties are perpetuated by either buddins or graft- 
ing, usually on plum stocks... The kinds available as stocks 
are various and exhibit as great differences as appear be- 
tween the varieties to be propagated. No one stock can be 
regarded as perfectly satisfactory for general use with all 
varieties, and it follows that care and thought must be ex- 
ercised in making choice of what shall be used. 

The character of the soil, whether light or sandy, or 
verging on the other extreme of heavy clay, and the general 
features of the climate will largely govern this choice, but 
consideration must also be given to the characteristicsof the 
varieties to be propagated. 

The desirable varieties have parentage in widely dif- 
ferent species, each of which has characteristics peculiarly 
its own. The derivative varieties follow more or less closely 
after the parent species, inheriting habits, likes and dislikes, 
which must be regarded if we achieve success in their man- 
agement. Even among derivatives of the same species we 
may find varieties sufficiently different to call for the use of 
different stocks and different methods of treatment. This 
would be looked for among the varieties that have been un- 
der cultivation for the longest periods, and is due tothe fact 
that the variation and development from the original type 
has not been along parallel lines. Differences in climate, in 
food supply, and in general environment have led to diver- 


8 _ NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


gence resulting in races which possess distinctive and well- 
marked characters. 

Some knowledge, therefore, of the history and de- 
rivation of varieties is essential to the propagator in order 
that he may make intelligent selection of the stocks upon 
which to work his profitable varieties. Successful propaga- 
tors, well versed in the history of varieties, and in the prin- 
ciples of culture will, however, often differ in their estimate 
of available stocks, just as they will differ on methods of 
practice. Strong growing varieties are not suited to very 
slow growing stocks because they over-top them and the 
trees are short lived. Onthe other hand success does not 
follow the attempt to force a slow-growing variety by work- 
ing it upon a rank-growing stock. The nearer the variety 
to be grafted corresponds with the stock to be used in gen- 
eral habit and vigor of growth, the better will be the pros- 
pects for health and longevity i inthe tree. 

Figures 1 and 2, Plate I, illustratean overgrowing of the 
stock that is not uncommon. Figure 1 is a Yellow Sweet, (Pru- 
nus Americana,) plantedin1894. The enlargement just above 
the union is marked, and it is increasing each year. Figure 
2is a Wolf (Prunus Americana) tree of uncertain age, 
probably 14 or 15 years old, in which the enlargement is still 
more marked. We have no information as to the stocks 
used in either of these cases, but the fact that there is not 
perfect affinity between the varieties and their stocks is 
apparent. 

For the European plums divsh as Lombard,:Green Gage, 
and Bradshaw probably no stock is better than seedlings of 
some variety of the species from which these varieties came 
—Prunus domestica. Vhese have been in common use for 
many years, but in recent years have been in some degree 
superseded by Myrobalan stocks (seedlings of Prunus 
cerasifera, a species ‘of European origin). Myrobalan stocks 
are in common use in European countries and have rapidly 
grown in favor with our nurserymen, not because better 
trees can be grown upon them, but because it is easier to se- 
cure good Myrobalan than good domestica stocks. Seeds 
of domestica varieties that will produce an even stand of 
stocks is difficult to obtain, and the Myrobalan, which is 
easier to grow and less liable to injury from parasitic fungi, 
offers an acceptable substitute. Some nurserymen import 
the seeds and grow their own stocks, others find it more 
profitable to import the seedlings. They are usually re- 
ceived during the winter, planted in nursery rows in spring, 
and budded in July and August. In the south the stocks in 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. ~ 9 


common use are the Marianna plum and the peach, and 
very diverse opinions as to their relative merits have been 
expressed. Probably the differences arise from varying 
local conditions, for the testimony at hand indicates that on 
the light and dry soils the peach stock does best, while the 
Myrobalan is better suited to the heavier and more moist 
soils. Even at the north the peach meets with some favor 
as astock for plums on light soils, but it is too tender for 
districts where severe winters are common. For the native 
varieties, Wolf, Weaver, De Soto and other derivatives of 
Prunus Americana, the natural inference that Americana 
stocks would be best seems to be borne out by experience, 
but the degree of success may depend in a measure upon 
the seed used. The species is extremely variable in general 
habit and rapidity of growth as well as in the fruit produced. 
Seeds from which to grow stocks should be chosen from 
vigorous free-growing trees only. The progeny of such 
trees will most nearly accord with the varieties to be propa- 
gated and better insure the future of the tree. Seeds are 
obtained in the fall, separated from the pulp, mixed with 
sand and kept in a cool, moist place, during the winter. If 
they can be frozen and thawed several times, so much the 
better, for they will then more readily crack under the pres- 
sure of the swelling embryo. | 

In spring they are sown in seed beds of deeply stirred 
rich soil. In the fall the seedlings are lifted, sorted and 
packed away in sand in a cool pit or cellar. The following 
spring they may be planted in nursery rows to be budded in 
July and August. The commencement of the budding sea- 
son is determined by the maturity of the scion buds to be 
used; they are buds of the current year’s production and 
must be well matured. Budding may be continued as long 
as the bark will ‘slip,’ and this as well as the maturation of 
the scion buds will be largely influenced by weather condi- 
tions. The length of the budding season may, therefore, 
vary greatly in different years. Usually the season with 
plums is shorter than with peaches or apples. About ten 
days after insertion the buds should be examined and the 
bands loosened if necessary. Where buds have failed to 
unite, the stocks may be rebudded and this may be repeated 
as often as the length of the season will allow. Late in the 
fall stocks on which buds have failed should be taken up 
and stored for grafting in late winter or early spring. \When 
vrowth starts in the spring the budded stocks must receive 
prompt attention. Thestock must be “headed down,” that 
is, cut off above the bud, and here practice varies somewhat. 


IO NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE, 


Some growers prefer to cut from four to six inches above 
the bud, while others would at once cut as close to the bud 
as itis safe. The idea in cutting high isto leavea stub which 
may serve as a support to which the shoot from the bud 
may be tied, the stub being removed at the close of the first 
season's growth. All shoots below as well as above the 
scion bud must be removed, otherwise they will starve the 
bud by diverting the sap to their own development. Further 
production of these shoots from the stock will occur, and 
they must be frequently checked in order to secure the best 
growth of the scion. 

By far the greater number of plum trees grown com- 
mercially are produced by this process of budding. It is the 
easiest and best way when trees are grown in quantity, but 
as good trees can be produced by grafting, and often it is 
more convenient to graft than to bud. Here at the station 
we have used both methods and have found grafting rather 
more uniformly successful than budding. During the bud- 
ding season the weather is hot and dry, and frequently no 
water is availabie for irrigating; many buds dry out and fail 
to take, so that under conditions similar to ours the writer 
believes the method of propagating by grafting will give the 
best satisfaction, and particularly to the fruit grower who 
propagates in a small way for his own use. I amaware that 
the idea is current that stone fruits, and particularly plums, 
are difficult to graft. It is true that certain precautions must 
be observed that need receive little attention when grafting 
the apple, but these simple precautions taken, the work is no 
more difficult and success is as certain as with the apple. Of 
course the mechanical work of putting scion and stock to- 
gether must be well done, but outside of this there are three 
points upon which success mainly depends: 


_ Ist—The perfectly dormant condition of both stock and 
scion at the time the operation is performed. 


2nd—The protection of the union by coating with wax. 


3rd—Proper care of the plants between grafting and 
setting in nursery. 


The work is usually performed during March or April> 
and may be continued so long as the dormant condition can 
be maintained. Plums, however, start growth under slight 
stimulus, and a few warm days will end the work, even when 
all ordinary precautions have been taken. We have fre- 
quently filled the passage-way in our outside storage-pit 
with snow and ice asa means of keeping the temperature 
down, and have thus gained a few days. It is best to com- 


NOTES, ON PLUM CULTURE. I} 


mence early enough so that the finish need not be hurried 
by the weather conditions. 

Scions must not only be dormant, but must be other- 
wise in good condition, neither wilted from drying, nor 
water soaked from being kept too wet. Sometimes it 1s con- 
venient to take them from the trees as wanted; more fre- 
quently they will be cut late in the fall, or come from a dis- 
bane, and the question of how to keep.them will present 
itse 

They may be kept in an outside cellar or pit, packed in 
dry leaves, or in moss that is but slightly damp. The aim 
should be simply to provide conditions that will prevent the 
loss of moisture, without affording opportunity for the ab- 
sorption of an excess. 

The particular method of grafting to be used is much a 
matter of taste. Several are available, among which the 
four following are named in the order of the writers prefer- 
ence: Veneer, Side, Whip and Cleft. 

The side graft i is probably in more general use than any 
of the others, but after several years experience with all of 
them we are inclined to favor the veneer method as giving 
the most perfect union. 

It is not our purpose to ner discuss the principles of 
grafting, but may remark that in all grafting no union takes 
place between cut surfaces of the wood. It is only through 
the adjustment of the cambium of the scion to that of the 
stock that union is secured, and here, it is not a union be- 
tween cells existing at the time the grafting is done, but 
through new cells formed in extension of the cambium, 
which is the only channel of communication between leaves 
and roots. This being true it seems reasonable that the less 
the area of cut wood surfaces the better. The minimum of 
cut wood is secured by the veneer graft, which only exposes 
the wood in the oblique transverse cuts at the apex of the 
stock and the base of the scion. The one valid objection 
that may be urged against the veneer graft is that the scion 
is easily displaced. It is easily displaced if carelessly tied, 
but with reasonable care no trouble need be feared. 

Whatever the method used the union should be thor- 
oughly covered with some protective wax. A liquid wax to 
be applied with a brush is most convenient, and of several 
preparations one known as “Alcoholic Plastic’? answers the 
purpose admirably. It is made as follows: One pound of 
Resin, and one ounce of tallow melted together; remove 
from the fire, and after cooling slightly, but while still liquid, 
add eight fluid ounces of alcohol and stir thoroughly. ‘Uhis 


12 NOTES; ON’ PLUM “CULTURE, 


preparation must ne kept in a corked bottle or other closed 
vessel to prevent the evaporation of the alcohol. 

After waxing, the grafted stocks should be returned to 
the cellar and kept at as low a temperature as possible with- 
out freezing until the time arrives for setting in nursery. 
The roots may be placed in damp sand, but the scions should 
be subjected to such a degree of moisture only, as will pre- 
vent drying out. The practice as here outlined is success- 
fully followed in our station work. In all grafting of plums 
the scion should be set low on the crown so that when 
planted in the nursery the union may be placed well below 
the surtace. 

The plum isseldom worked above the ground, and there 
seems to be nothing in the practice to commend it for prac- 
tical purposes. If it is attempted it should only be with va- 
rieties of close affinity, and trees of equal vigor. Scions from 
a slov.-growing tree can not keep pace with the branches of 
a strong-grower, and if the strong scion is worked on the 
slower stock it soon out-grows it and the wind breaks it off. 
- A scion of Indiana Red worked on a wild Americana stock 
three feet above the ground produced a straight whip five 
feet and four inches long; three feet above the union the 
new growth had the same diameter as the stock at the 
ground. It yielded to a moderate wind. 

Sometimes when new varieties are procured for trial, a 
few scions are worked on old trees of some Americana var- 
lety with a view to obtaining fruit quickly. Thus trees of 
Ogon planted in 18904, have not yet fruited because the tops 
have killed back every year, but scions from the same trees, 
taken at the time of planting and worked on Prunus Ameri- 
cana have given us fruit for four seasons. Several other 
varieties treated in the same manner at the same time, have 
fruited, but all, or nearly all are now dead. 


PRUNING. 


Plums are pruned for the purpose of forming and maintain- 
ing a symmetrical, well-balanced top. . Five or six branches, 
equally distributed about the stem, and having some verti- 
cal separation are selected to serve asa framework of the 
top. All others are removed and the leader is shortened. 
The branches retained should be cut back to some extent, 
but this, as well as the shortening of the leader must be de- 
termined for each tree, being dependent upon the root 
system and the apparent vigor. In shortening the branches 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 13 


and leader, the cuts should be made with reference to se- 
lected buds so placed that the future extension may be in 
the right direction. During the summer, rub off shoots that 
start where they are not wanted, and pinch the tips of ram- 
pant branches. The second spring, before growth starts, 
the shoots produced the previous year should be shortened 
to encourage the production of secondary, interior branches, 
and the third year this is repeated. From now on no prun- 
ing is needed except to remove branches starting from 
wrong places, and to control the too vigorous branches. 
This is best done by summer pinching, and in general it 
may be said that the less. the knife is used on plum trees, 
the better it is for the trees. Most varieties require very 
little pruning after the head is once formed. 


SOILS. 


Plums will adapt themselves to almost any soil that 
would be chosen for apples or pears. Domestica varieties 
are perhaps best on heavy clay, and choice may be more 
restricted with them than with most other sorts. The native 
varieties are suited to a wide range of soils, but no tree will 
do well on wet mucky soils, and as the plum isa rank feeder 
and a heavy bearer, the soil must be of Sood tert lity.) pews 

Colorado soils are in general well adapted for the plum, 
but even on the best, good cultivation and the systematic 
application of fertilizers is to be recommended. 


IRRIGATION, 


Frequency in the application of water is so entirely de- 
pendent upon the character of the soil that no rule can be 
made to govern it. How best to irrigate must be learned 
by experience for each orchard. Ina general way it may be 
said that young trees require more water the first season 
than is necessary in succeeding years. Trees that are bear- 
ing, however, should receive almost, if not quite as much, as 
ee trees; it is necessary for the best development of the 

ruit, 

The soil of our station orchard is quite compact; water 
does not spread quickly, and each irrigation is prolonged 
for a greater time than would be necessary on more porous 
soils. When water is available we aim to apply it once in 


14 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


ten days for young trees; somewhat less frequently for those 
older. 

The effects of drouth during July and August are fre- 
quently seen in small inferior fruit. Reasonable care in the 
application of water during this period will well repay the 
trouble in the increased quantity and better quality of fruit. 
It is, however, possible to apply an excess that may work as 
great injury as the most severe drouth. It is only by study- 
ing the appearance of the trees, and the condition of the 
soil that we can arrive at a correct adjustment of the quantity 
to be applied, and the time to apply it. 

It is our practice here to withhold water after the first 
of September in order to check growth and allow the wood 
to ripen. If growing conditions are maintained through the 
fall the young and succulent wood, of even the hardiest va- 
rieties, is in danger of being killed by low winter tempera- 
tures, but if well ripened it survives the extremes without 
injury. Twice within the last six years we have had open 
winters that proved more productive of injury to trees than 
those of continuous cold. There were long periods of warm 
weather, with no frost in the ground, and no precipitation to 
supply the continuous evaporation. The soil became very 
dry and the trees suffered in consequence. To guard as 
much as possible against such injury it is the practice to 
give a late irrigation, usually in November. If the ground 
can be well saturated at this time it is of advantage to the 
orchard whether the months following be cold or warm; if 
warm, the soil will not so soon become dry, and danger from 
this source is lessened; if cold and the soil be continuously 
frozen, the moisture is retained and the conditions for spring 
growth improved. 

The system practiced is to furrow for each irrigation, 
using a one-horse plow and turning from the trees on both 
sides of the row. Water is runin the furrows for from 12 
to 36 hours according to the supply available and the condi- 
tion ofthe soil. As soon as practicable after irrigating, a 
harrow is used to close the furrow and smooth the surface. 
The aim is to keep a constant mulch of loose soil on the sur- 
face so as to check evaporation as far as possible. The 
method of applying water is illustrated by plate 2. 


PLANTING DISTANCE. 


Practice and opinion on the matter of distance between 
trees in orchard planting is very diverse. The general 


NOTES ON. PLUM’ CULTURE. | a 


tendency is toward too close planting and sometimes this 
is carried to extremes. I have seen several plum orchards 
planted 1ox1o feet that even now when only five years old 
have much the appearance of thickets. Cultivation is im- 
possible, the fruit is small and difficult to get at, insects find 
a safe harbor, and the whole arrangement is unsatisfactory 
and unprofitable. The condition grows worse with each 
year. In most cases the suggested remedy, removing al- 
ternate trees will not be followed until too late, if at all, and 
within a very few years the whole must of necessity be de- 
stroyed and the labor of planting lost. 

The most common practice is to plant 15x15 feet, but 
this is too close for fully developed trees of spreading habit. 
A better plan is to plant 15x20 feet, or to adopt the accepted 
California practice and allow 20x20 feet. “There seems to 
be ad cided preference for low-headed trees on the ground 
that they are less liable to injury from winds, and that less 
trunk is exposed to the action of thesun. Wiaith low-headed 
trees the disadvantages of close planting are more quickly 
apparent. The best formed trees in the station orchard are 
those headed at from 30 to 36 inches from the ground, and 
this is the distance we prefer. 

Young trees are frequently injured by what are known 
as ‘‘frost cracks,’ a longitudinal splitting of bark and wood 
on the south side of the trunk, occurring in late winter or 
early spring and attributable to the extreme daily range of 
temperature which often occurs at this season. To guard 
against this injury the trunks should be protected in some 
way. Various devices have been used, but we have found 
wrapping with burlap the most effective and least expensive. 
Burlap that had been used for baling was purchased at dry 
goods stores for two cents per pound and cut into four inch 
strips, three and four feet long; one pound giving as an 
average 9 strips. [hese are wound spirally on the trunks, 
being held at the top bya lap, and by tying with cord at the 
bottom. One man can cover from 50 to 60 trees per hour 
with the material prepared and ready at hand. The cover- 
ing is applied in November and removed in April or May. 
The same bands will serve for two or three seasons. The 
whole cost is less than one cent per tree and well repays the 
trouble. 


ARRANGEMENT OF VARIETIES. 


The Wild Goose plum has long been regarded as infer- 
tile when isolated and the same complaint has occasionally 
¢ 
\ 


16 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


been made regarding other varieties, but the experiments 
carried on by Professor Waugh of Vermont, in 1896 and 1897, 
indicate that the actual extent of self-sterility among varie- 
ties of plums, has by no means been appreciated or even 
suspected. His tabulation shows that of 6,428 blossoms cov- 
ered, on 56 varieties, representing all classes of plums, only 
five produced fruits, and from the experiments he draws the 
conclusion that “For all practical purposes, all classes and va- 
rieties of native plums may be regarded as absolutely self- 
sterile.’ Itis possible that these results might vary with 
different seasons and in different localities, but making due 
allowance for possible variations, the results are startling 
enough to warrant the attention of plum growers every- 
where. The cause of this sterility appears to lie largely in 
the inefficiency of the pollen of the flowers of a plant upon 
the stigmas of the flowers of the same plant. It lies in a 
condition known to exist among many wild as well as culti- 
vated plants. One of nature’s provisions for securing cross- 
fertilization, and the plants come under the recognized 
Knight’s Law that ‘Nature intended that a sexual inter- 
course should take place between neighboring plants of the 
same species.’ 

Self-sterility may also be due in some degree to imper- 
fect pistils, the cause for which must be sought in some ~ 
physiological weakness of the tree, such as might be brought 
about by the work of insects or disease, or from a feeble 
condition following the production of a phenomenally heavy 
crop of fruit. Or it may be due to unfavorable weather con- 
ditions prevailing at blooming time. 

Recognizing, then, the existence of self-sterility among 
plums, the aim should be to so associate the varieties that one 
may supply pollen for the other. No data is at hand to 
warrant any definite statement as to what varieties are es- 
pecially adapted to the fertilization of certain other varie- 
ties, but it is perfectly plain that to be of use to each other 
the varieties must bloom at the same time. 

The varieties now available from which to choose show 
a rather wide range in blooming period; some bloom to- 
gether, some finish before others begin and some overlap. 
All are much influenced by the weather at the time, and 
this may vary greatly in different years, not only in the ap- 
pearance of the first flowers, but in the length of the bloom- 
ing period. While irregularities may occur from one sea- 
son to another, it is probable that the relative periods of the 
different varieties will remain much the same. For the con- 
venience of those who may be interested, and also as a stim- 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. ie? 


ulus to further observations, we here reproduce a graphic 
tabulation of blossoming periods as given by Mr. J. W. Kerr 
of Denton, Maryland, in his trade catalogue. The same 
table is also given by Professor Waugh in the tenth report 
of the Vermont station. The latitude of Denton is very 
nearly that of Colorado Springs, but differences in altitude 
and climate make a considerable difference in the season of 
growth. The varieties are arranged in the table in the or- 
der of blossoming and it serves to show those blooming 
together as well as the earliest and latest bloomers. It will 
be observed that the classes to which the varieties are 
referred embrace three not given in our list; Nigra, Wayland, 
and Watsoni. The first isseparated from Prunus Americana: 
and recognizes in the northeastern plums the variety nigra 
of that species. The Wayland group is separated from the: 
Miner group, with which it has close affinities. The Watsoni 
group are varieties of Prunus Watsonz, a sand plum ranging 
from Nebraska to Arkansas, and in the cultivated forms. 
closely resembling the Chicasaw varieties with which they 
are usually classed. 


18 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. | 


PLUM BLOSSOM CHART. 


Showing average plum blossoming seasons in the latitude of Denton,Md, 


From J.W.Kerr's catalogue. 
) 


Variety 


Burbank 
Abundance 
Satsuma 
DeCaradeuc 
Georgeson 
Engre 
Marianna 
'Ogoh 

Chase 

Brill 
Chabot 
Kelsey 
Ogeechee 
Shiro Sumomo 
Strawberry 
Uchi Beni 
Maru 
Wazata 
Yosebe 
Caddo Chief 
Early Red 
Emerson 
Itaska 

Kerr 

Munson 
Beaty 

Clark 
GLiffora 
Colletta 
Deep Creek 
Drouth King 
El Paso 
Hattie 
Yellow Sweet 
Arkansas Loinbard 
Cheney 

De Soto 
Harrison 
Heaton 
Hiawatha 
Hogg'’s No.2 
Hughes 
Jefferson 
Lombard 


April 
Class 


Japanese 
doa 
do 
Hybrid 
Japanese 
do 
Hybrid 
Japanese 
do 
Hybrid? 
Japanese 
do 
Chicasaw 
Japanese 
Watsoni 
Japanese 
do 
Nigra 
Japanese 
Chicasaw 
do 
do 
Nigra 
Japanese 
Chicasaw 
do 
Wild Goose 
do 
Chicasaw 
Americana 
Wild Goose 
Chicasaw 
Myrobalan 
Americana 
Chicasaw 
Nigra 
Americs.la 
qe 
do 
ado 
Hybrid 
Chicasaw 
Domestica 
do 


Paliroipi Sea. 
14 19 24 29 


— 


Plum Blossom Chart. 


April 
variety Cless 

Milton Wild toose 
Newman Chicasaw 
Ocheeda Americana 
Richland Domestica 
Rollingstone Americana 
Spaulding Domestica 
Wilder Miner 
Wild Goose Wild Goose 
Willard Japanese 
Yellow Panhandle Watsoni 
African Chicasew 
Cherokee Americana 
Freemal's Favorite Wild Googe 
Gaylord Americana 
Hilltop do 
Louisa do 
Miner Miner 
Minnetonka Americana 
Onio Prolific Wild Goose 
Osage do 
Smiley do 
Speer Americana 
Texas Belle Wild Goose 
Van Burer Americana 
Whiteker Wild Goose 
Yellow Transvareiuit Chicasaw 
comfort Americana 
Cottrell do 
Cumberland Weyland 
Kickapno AMNericana 
Lone Ster Chicasaw 
Lord's Seealiig Americana 
Rockford do 
Roulette WilG Goose 
Schley ie do 
Champion Americana 
Chas. Downing Wild Goose 
Clara Americana? 
‘Cluck Chicasaw 
Crescent City Miner 
Columbia Wayland 
Dr.Tyler's Sugar bropDomestica 
Gordon Americana 
Hemmer do 
Hawkeye do 
Idall Miner 


Indien Chief 


Wild Goose 


9 


SS 
> 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


continued. 


14 


Lo 


19 


24 29 


20 


Variety 


Indiana. Red 
Jewell 

Kampeska 

Kopp 

LeDuc 

Maquoketa 

Muncy 

Nelly 

North Carolina 
No.0.( Kerr ) 
No.6.( Kerr) 
No.20.(Kerr ) 
Old Gold 
Parsons 
Pottawattomie 
Prairie Flower 
Purple Yosemite 
Sophie 

Sucker State 
Weaver 

Wooten 
California 
Coe's Golden Prop 
Colorado Queen 
Dakota 

Forest Rose 
German Priiie 
Hanson 

Honey 

Iris 

Jones 'Late 
Knudson's Peach 
Macedonia 
Mankato 
Maryland 
Missouri Apricot 
Moore's Arctic 
’ Morena. 

Noyes 

Pirana 

Poole's Pride 
Reine Claude 
Gen.Hand as 
Shropshire Damson 
Stoddard 
Surprise 
Willdieams 


April 
Class 


Miner 
Wild Goose 
Americana 

do 

do 
Miner 
Americana 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 

do 
Miner 
Chicasaw 
Miner 
Americana 
Wild Goose 
Way-tand 
Americana 
Wild Goose 
Americana 
Domestica 
Americana 

do 
Miner 
Domestica 
Americana 

fone) 
Miner 
Americana 

do 
Wild Goose 
Americana 
Hybrid 
Wayland 
Domestica 
Wayland 
Miner 
Chicasaw : 
Wild Goose 
Domestica 

do 

do 
Americana 
Wild Goose 


Nigra 


v9 


“Plum blossem chart. continued, 


14 


NOTES -ON PLUM ‘CULTURE, 


19 


24 


22 


Veriety 
«aes 

Williams'No.i7 
wolf 
Forest Garden 
Red Panhandle 
Smith 
Utah Hybrid 
Wayland 
World-beater 
Wyant 
American Eagle 
Garfield 
Tllinois Lromclad 
Irene 
Kanawha 
Leptune 
Marion 
Blackhawk 
Rachel 
Reed 
Choptank 
Esther 
Galena 
Golden Beauty 
Heideman'ss8 
Heideman's Biack 
Heideman's Red 
Heideman's yell 
Newton Ege 
Pendent 
Reche 
William's No.0 
Winnebago 
Wooa 
Prumis ineritime 
Holt 
Joe Hooker 
Ppeffer's rremlun 
Smith's Red 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


April 
Class 


Americana 

do 

do 
Watson 
Americana 
Hybrid 
Wayland 

do 
Americana 

do 
Wayland 
Americana 

do 
Wayland 

do 
Americana 

do 
Miner 
Wayland 
Wild Goose 
Miner 
Americaiua 
Wayland 
Americana 
Besseyl 

do 

do 
Americana 
Wild Goose 
Americana 

do 

do 

do 
Maritima 
Americana 

do 

do 

do 


v 


ee 


Plum blossom chart. 


continued. 
14 


a a a 


oak 


29 


22 NOTES ON PEUMP@CULTURE, 


The tollowing table arranged on the same plan as the 
preceeding shows the blossoming period of 56 varieties as 
compiled from observations in the station orchard last spring. 
Five of the varieties are represented by old trees of uncer- 
tain age, and of whose early history we have no record. 
They are probably from 12 to 15 years old. 

_ Therepresentativesof tive others are young trees planted 
in 1897 and blooming for the first time. The remainder 
were planted in 1894. The flowering period of Joe Hooker 
was probably delayed, and later prolonged by the trees 
having been killed back somewhat during -the preceeding 
winter. The flowering period is here computed from the 
time the first flowers opened until the petals had in great 
part fallen. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 23 


Missouri Apricot 
Moon 

Champion # 

Clark 

Ven Buren 
Winnebago 
American Hagle 
Idall 

Newton 

Pennock's Hybrid 
Wild Rose 

Wolf (old) 
Colorado Queen 
Hammer 

Illinois Ironclad 
Miner 

Quaker 

‘Spaulding # 
Sunset 


‘Prairie Flower (young}) 


nn 


: Flowering Period of Plums as Recorded in the Station Orchard 
For the yer 18v8. 

As Maite 

peversatyy i) ce ed April June. 
ease mt ee 

Kampeska iti | f 

Minnetonka— | | | 

Coe's Golden Drop ee dng Evel | | 

Ocheeda | ES Be ba i 

Cheney a mt tedeel || | | | 

Deep Creek ica tia eek | aM | 

Speer byt tg RE ORG De | | 

Comfort Eas ee | | ont el 

Forest Rose — ted Oe 

Harrison's Peach ae ae 

Kopp . Co A EA 

Lombara a | aha , | | 

Moldavka Lt Obits Fe = | | | 

Purple Yosemite HUSA ] 

Rollingstone oka ee 

Weaver CUARIOREDSSEREL ORE || | 

Willard + SPER POERETRRNRERU TNO | 

Yellow Sweet SSSRRGRERERRARALARS | Sane 

Apricot Saaeeasease | | 

Cottrell H+ ae 

Hawkeye a a eet PH 

Kickapoo HOUR INERRESKS Rae | 

Le Duc REQESER SERS 

Leonard att 

Peffer's Premium RESERGEREMIRO MERE Ook 

Rockford ab ie pr errr | 

Russian No.2 BORER EREBAree 

Hytankio + RRBRA AS | 

Ida BETTREBLAETASS 

"Little Blue Danson HUBER RGREERLAA 

Maryland tt | 

Ogon # SSR RRRGRERS Hy | || 

Prairie Flower (old) BUC eUaenaaLe 

Wolf (young) PELRREBLARGE 

Wyant ZRORERRARATOAHe 

Chabot + REVERED 

Hilltop wpb 

Joe Hooker EZSRUaCRE 


] 


ie 


24 NOTES, ON, PLUMVYOULTURI. 


The two striking differences between the Maryland and 
Colorado tables are in the commencement of blooming, and 
in the length of the periods. Variations in climate would 
lead us to expect differences in the commencement of 
blooming. This difference here appears as 17 days, and it 
is probable that variations in seasons might either increase 
or diminish this. The variation in length of period is ex- 
treme. The shortest period recorded in the Maryland table 
is two days. Our shortest is 12 days. While the longest 
periods are 7 days in Maryland, and 31 days in Colorado. 
The great length of the periods observed here may in part 
be accounted for by the weather conditions prevailing at the 
time. It will be observed that 11 varieties began blooming 
on April 30, and that 9 varieties began on May 7, none open- 
ing in the interval. ‘This is directly attributable to a storm 
which prevailed between these dates. 

Rain began falling on April 30. On the night of May 2 
wet snow accumulated to the depth of 3 inches. This 
covered the trees and clung to the branches for several days. 
It was continuously cloudy to the evening of May 5, and 
while it did not freeze during this period the temperature 
was sufficiently low to effectually check all vegetation. On 
examination after the storm it was found that considerable 
injury had been done. The Americana varieties that began 
opening the flowers before the storm, had most of the pistils 
inthe open, and nearly open flowers killed. Kampeska 
showed less injury than any other variety of the class. On 
Minnetonka, Speer, Ocheeda and some others, it was diffi- 
cult to find an uninjured pistil in open flowers or much 
advanced buds; most of them were black and shriveled. 
Coe’s Golden Drop among domestica varieties had the pistils 
killed in all open flowers, and also in all advanced buds. 
Russian No. 2, although having no open flowers, had started 
the buds to some extent and nearly all were killed. 
Varieties that were at the time quite dormant suffered no 
apparent injury. | 

The storm had the direct effect of delaying the appear- 
ance of bloom on most varieties for at least seven days. 
Whether it effected the blooming period or not is matter of 
conjecture, but it seems probable that the long pericd of low 
temperature may have influenced the vitality of the buds in 
such way as to prolong the blooming season. The tablesare 
suggestive, and the questions which arise from studying 
them can only be answered from the data of a number of 
seasons. Similar tables representing the different districts 
of the state, and covering other orchard fruits would be 


wt tig on et 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 25 


helpful to the planter, and would become more valuable as 
the number of years over which observations extend, in- 
creased. 


TO WHAT DEGREE ARE PLUMS SELF-FERTILE. 


The following tests to determine self-fertility were under- 
taken last spring, the work being in charge of my assistant, 
Mr. J. H. Cowan, who was assisted by one of our students. 
The preliminary work of covering the flowers was perform- 
ed on April 30th, with the exception that the flower clusters 
on one variety, Missouri Apricot, were covered May 7. 
Grocers paper bags were used and securely tied. Such 
flowers as were open, or partially open, were removed 
before covering, and are not counted. Approximately one 


half of the clusters were hand-pollinated, the other half. 


being left tothemselves. The hand-pollinated set embraced 
43 clusters, containing 629 flowers and represented 4o vari- 
eties. The stigmas of all flowers were dusted with pollen, 
either from the same flower, or from other flowers of the 
same cluster. This work was performed on the dates as tab- 
ulated, May 14-18 inclusive. The pistils were at this time 
in good condition, the stigmas appreciably viscid. The 
pollen was also in good condition, and the stigmas were 
copiously covered. 

The examination June 6 showed 113 apparently well 
formed fruits, and 105 imperfect fruits, those that showed 
some development of the ovar:, but did not appear to be 
well fertilized. In other words it appeared on June 6 that 
17.94 per cent. of the flowers had produced good fruits, and 
16.69 per cent. had set imperfect fruits. At the final exam- 
ination June 23 there remained 6 fruits representing a frac- 
tion less than 1 per cent. of the flowers pollinated. 

In the following tabulation the number of flowers treated 
is given for each variety, together with the number of fruits 
formed, and also the estimated stand of fruit on the trees. 


26 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


SELF-POLLINATION OF PLUMS. SPRING OF 1898. 


Tabulation of Hand-pollinated Set. 


When No. of FruitsJun.6 Fruits Stand of fruit. 
pollinated. flowers. Good. Imp. June 23. estimated. 
9 


American Hagie....... May 14 16 2 3 light 
PLDEICOt. wos) uli. Seog a Uw Ni 7 0 if 0) medium 
Mieney li... i Hiatt 8 0 5 0 very light 
Colorado Queen...... alsa 13 5 9 1 medium 
Cemirort ra ais es ha 4 0 0 0 very light 
eottrellins. whee hye: «18 18 10 > 0 medium 
Deep Creek.......... ae! Bas: 0 0 medium 
Deep Ureekiias 2}. ett ie 19 0 0) 0 medium 
horestRvse. hy 22.: inl. 17 0 3 0 medium 
Pep ite nn AU! s feo 18 8 4 0 0 none 
oC Toy ne nee a a nerd 9 0 6 0 heavy 
Peasticoyen sek rl) | Dd 13 4 13 0 medium 
(EN regs ikea en ee “14 17 0 2 0 very light 
WEE 97 eee « 14 14 4 3 0 very light 
Bole t Manet cs Nae «74 12 0 8 0 very light 
Illinois Ironelad...... aga 23 0 0 0 light 
Joe Hooker.......... he at! 10 0 1. 0 very light. 
iampeska 2. 02. “« 14 15 0) 4 0 medium | 
Pele RADGON Yt el ta 8 5 0 0 medium 
WROD Tite Soh ue 2k oa | 19 0 8 0 medium 
JOSH OSG Da a tn hi 14 5 4 0 very light: 
PeOUArA Ye ae Dy. 8 0 0 very light. 
Little Blue Damson.. “ 17 13 2 1 0 medium 
Marvisnds 6. ooo. haa! 19 0 0 0 very light 
ON el a ONS 22 8 0 0 very light. 
Minnetonka.......... AUN G3 13 . ie 1 very light. 
Missouri Apricot..... “ 14 10 2 S 1 light 

Uo 2 a a ae ne fl ay 9 7 0 light 
OCHECGG Go) ook, . ss 8 15 4 6 0 medium 
Peffer’s Premium..... gh, 12 2 6 0 medium 
Prairie Flower....... tHE Sis: 13 8 0 0 very light. 
Purple Yosemite..... se ad. 10 6 1 0 heavy 
CIRCE hs ik | aR He} 20 1 4 0 none 
Reekford oi os 3 fae: 4 0 0 0 very light - 
ne OY sLCi Ee ear i one Coty 15 4 5 0 very light 
WaeneBuren ss occ. c. DU 34 7 9 2 medium 
PR ORVED RA fe cy M74; tot aha ye 0 0 0 very light 
Weaver ce. os ois: Desa! 6 » 1 0 very light 
Winnebago .......... ‘14 26 2 a 0 heavy 
Wolf (young tree).... “ 14 20 0 4 0 heavy 
BA VATIL te, eet) (Ue w 14 26 8 2 0 very light 
Yellow Sweet........ aa. 8 O 0 0 very light. 

629 113 105 6 


The self-pollinated set embraced 48 clusters containing 
699 flowers and represented 41 varieties. At the time the 
pollen was applied to the flowers of the other set, these 
clusters were examined and such flowers as then had dead 
pistils were removed, otherwise they were not disturbed 
until the count of June 6 was made. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. | ef 


SELF POLLINATION OF PLUMS. SPRING OF 1898. 
Tabulation of Set Not Hand-pollinated. 


Number of Fruits June 6 Fruits Stand of fruit 
flowers. Good. Imperfect. June 23. estimated, 
American Eagle...... 10 2 2 0 light 
PUTIONG seit, oes None 16 0 0 0 medium 
INE ae A alee a 8 0 0 0 very light 
Colorado Queen...... 19 3 8 0 medium 
(Own ge ce, A 2 0 2 0 light 
SPOTL Ue. iby Ane, 4 4 0 medium 
Ween OFGek ook. cee: I 0 2 0 medium 
Deep Creek........... 12 0 0 0 medium 
PorestRoge. : 2.2... 14 0 2 0 medium 
RAMI OL 4 Wu S ws. «ears 8 2 i 0 none 
BREE ISOM pcre da. te tac cesta 5 cm 0 0 0 heavy 
BSW ROY Gi hoi rio bess 11 4 i 0 medium 
REMI) dort! 63.45 4 11 0 0 0 very light 
1 Ne ea OR eg Ae 14 1 4 0 very light. 
CENCE RS een 15 1 4 0 very light 
Illinois Ironclad...... 22 0 0 0 light 
OM BLOOKOD A, Vy yc mice: 15 5 1 0 very light 
Kampeska ....... eye: 14 0 2 0 medium 
HAC DOO! ju ct shes sits « 10 6 2 0 medium 
LV 7 One) co eae ac 25 0 8 0 medium 
CE Nah Rn ia SO ar 9 3 5 0 very light 
OST Via (ae para eo 16 0 5) 0 medium 
Little Blue Damson... 15 7 0 4 medium 
Dee yian sass vs esc 20 0 0 0 very light 
APOE Nec sieltin sy 5.6 ate 21 8 0 0 very light 
MMmmeton ka cs «<< 5's Ld) 0 2 0 very light 
Missouri Apricot...... 14 0 9 0 light 
Ws hate Seal Sept a os 28 11 8 0 light 
WRC OCO A: ods scale tans ss 18 6 2 0 medium 
Peffer’s Premium..... I 4 10 0 medium 
Pennock’s Hybrid..... 37 0 5) 0 light 
Prairie Flower........ 13 8 0 0 very light. 
Purple Yosemite...... 15 9 6 1 heavy 
RGD re Slaw.’ x aiee ee 18 1 1 0 none 
POR CORC See fie cc, aie) < sly: 2 1 0 1 very light. 
PROC GR OTC ale. ve oink ae 10 3 4 0 very light 
ene onrens ses oi lee 90 15 18 0 medium 
EE ie cle as ble wns 9 1 0 0 very light 
RGR EL A ott ts pees > it 0) 0 0 very light 
WVANMOGALO ies sas es ve 20 0 4 0 heavy 
Wolf (young tree) .... 24 6 6 1 heavy 
Se Se ER aa 15 9 3 0 very light: 
Yellow Sweet......... 4 0 0 0 very light 
699 123 129 1. 


It appears from the table that on June 6 there were 123. 
well formed fruits and 129 imperfect fruits. Or of 699 
flowers covered, 14.73 per cent. set good fruits and 15.59 per 
cent. set imperfect fruits. On June 23 the number of fruits 
remaining was 7 which represents practically 1 per cent. of 
the flowers covered. 

The number of fruits produced by the hand-pollinated 


flowers was 6. 
In final results, then, there is a remarkably close agree- 


28 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


ment between the two sets. The natural conclusion is that 
the infertility did not lie in the failure of the stigmas to re- 
ceive pollen, but must be looked for either in an inherent 
antipathy which the plant has for its own pollen or in some 
outside influences. One factor comes in here which makes 
the test unsatisfactory, and prevents drawing definite con- 
clusions as to the cause of the infertility, and that is the 
extent of the “June drop” from all parts of the trees. This 
was so great that even the trees that set full, matured but a 
light crop. The same influences acting upon the covered 
flowers would account, in part at least, for the results re- 
corded. Further discussion of the cause is reserved until 
additional observations suggested by the work this year can 
be made. 


INSECTS AND DISEASES. 


INSECTS. 


The insects commonly injurious to the plum, such as the 
Plum Gouger, Curculio and Plum Aphis are treated in bul- 
letin No. 47 by Prof. Gillette, and for information concern- 
ing them the reader is referred to that bulletin. 


FUNGUS DISEASES. 


There are several parasitic fungi reported from differ- 
ent parts of the country as injurious to the plum. , At least 
four of these are present in Colorado, although only two 
have thus far worked to an injurious extent upon the culti- 
vated plums. The fungus at present doing greatest injury, 
and having widest distribution, is the Leaf-spot or Shot-hole 
fungus (Cylzndrosportum Padi Karst). It has been present 
in the station orchard for four seasons, but has been con- 
trolled by spraying so that no serious injury has resulted 
from.it. | 

The disease makes its appearance early in the sunimer 
or about the time the leaves reach fullsize. Small circular 
spots of a red or purplish color are first seen; these enlarge 
sumewhat, becoming an eighth of an inch in diameter. As 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 29 


the fungus matures the spots become dark brown, shading 
to light brown at the center. The effected tissue shrivels, 
and finally drops out, leaving circular holes. Frequently 
several spots may run together so that the holes left in the 
leaf are irregular in form. Under conditions favorable to 
the fungus the spots become so numerous as to destroy the 
leaves attacked, and thus check the growth of the tree, and 
prevent the development of fruit. If stocks in nursery are 
attacked the bark tightens and the stocks cannot be budded. 
The injury to orchard trees by this disease is 1n direct pro- 
portion to the percentage of leaves destroyed, but no mat- 
ter how slight the attack it should receive attention. The 
tree is entirely dependent upon the leaves for the elabora- 
tion of its food, and any injury to them that interferes with 
the fulfillment of this important office, checks growth and 
injures vitality. 

Various remedies have been tried and of these the Bor- 
deaux mixture gives the most general satisfaction. In our 
practice with this remedy we have made two applications; 
the first as soon as the leaves are developed, and a second 
about three weeks later. In someseasons a third and pos- 
sibly a fourth application may be necessary, as the develop- 
ment and spread of the fungus isin a measure dependent 
upon weather conditions. The appearance of leaves at- 
tacked by this fungus is shown in Plate III. 


POWDERY MILDEW OF THE PLUM AND CHERRY. 
(Podosphera oxyacanthe (DC.) DBy.) 


This disease has not appeared in the station orchard, 
but has been reported to us from two counties of the state 
asinjurious to both plum and cherry trees. The fungus 
works entirely on the surface of the leaves, drawing its 
nourishment from the cells by means of minute suckers 
called haustoria. Badly effected leaves appear as if dusted 
with a white powder and this suggested the common name. 
Being on the surface the fungus is easily reached by any of 
the fungicides in common use. Finely powdered sulphur, 
which has been successfully used in combatting the closely 
related Powdery Mildew of the Grape, would probably be 
equally effective in destroying this parasite. The fungus 
does not usually appear until late insummer; our specimens 
were received the last week in August. 


30 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


BLACK KNOT. (Plowrightia morbosa. (Schw.) Sacc.) 


The fungus causing Black Knot has proved destructive 
to plums and cherries in many of the eastern states. It has 
not, so far as my information goes, attacked cultivated 
plums in Colorado, but from its presence as a common dis- 
ease of the wild plums of the foothills, it seems likely that 
it may at any time appear in orchards. 

Black Knot has been known as a disease of plums for a 
long time,.but the cause was for many years a mystery. The 
larve of insects being commonly found in old knots, led 
many to believe that the trouble was due to them, but ento- 
mologists proved that the larve found were only using the 
abnormally developed tissue as food and had nothing to do 
with its production. The fungus was named as early as 
1821, but discussion regarding the true cause continued un- 
til Dr. Farlow,* of Cambridge, worked out the life-history 
of the fungus and established beyond controversy that it was 
the cause of the trouble. 

The presence of the disease is first seen in swellings on 
twigs; these are due toan abnormal growth induced by 
some irritative action of the fungus threads. As develop- 
ment proceeds the bark is ruptured, the exposed inner sur- 
face becomes covered with spore bearing threads, and as- 
sumes a greenish-brown color. These spores are carried by 
winds and insects and serve to infect other branches or 
trees. The knot continues to enlarge, becomes hard and 
changes to a brown and finally black color. Later in the 
fall cavities form in the tissue of the knot and in these are 
produced a second form of spores which may escape in 
spring to further disseminate the fungus. Two other spore 
forms have been found in connection with the fungus, but 
further mention of them is not necessary here. The threads 
of the fungus are perennial within the tissues of the plant, 
and when once started, growth will continue until the tree 
dies. While spraying at the proper time may be of use in 
preventing spreading to other trees, the only effective rem- 
edy for trees attacked, is to cut and burn the knots as soon 
as discovered. One of the characteristic knots is shown in 
io, 1, Plates. 


* Bulletin Bussey Institution Part V pp. 440-453 (1876). 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 31 


PLUM POCKETS. (L.woascus Pruni Fekl.) 


This disease is quite common on the wild Prunus Amer- 
zcana of the foothills, but no case of attack upon cultivated 
varieties has come to my notice. The effects produced by 
the growth of this fungus are perfectly characteristic. Not 
long after the fall of the blossoms the young plums begin to 
enlarge rapidly; they become spongy or bladdery, and may 
vary in size from one-half inch to an inch and a half in 
diameter. In color they are pale green or yellowish. By 
the middle of June they shrivel somewhat, becoming 
wrinkled, and finally drop. Sometimes only a portion of 
the fruits on a tree are effected and again no normal fruits 
can be found. The fungus sometimes attacks the leaves 
and young twigs, but more commonly the fruit only is 
effected. From observations on wild plums it appears that 
trees once infected continue to produce pockets each year, 
and it is doubtful if these trees can be cured; but spreading 
to other trees can be prevented by gathering and destroying 
the pockets before the spores are discharged. Where the 
disease attacks cultivated plums it seems to be quite local 
‘and does not spread rapidly. It is never epidemic and there 
seems to be little danger of serious injury from it. Plum 
pockets as they occur on the wild plum are illustrated in 
Fig. 2, Plate 4, which was photographed from a dry speci- 
men. 


A BLIGHT DISEASE. 


Late in the summer of 1897 twelve trees in the orchard 
were attacked by a blight, the nature of which is obscure. 
‘The leaves began turning brown at the edges; this spread, 
involving the whole leaf surface and the trees died. Exam- 
ination failed to reveal the presence of fungi, and it seems 
most probable, from the appearance and development of 
the disease, that its cause must be sought in some bacterium. 
The disease, while possessing the same general nature as 
pear blight, is certainly distinct from it. The trees attacked 
were all old and in bearing. No young trees suffered, and 
there was no reappearance of the disease this season. 


4 


VARIETIES. 


The following notes on varieties are based almost 
wholly upon observations made in the station orchard. 


2 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


This orchard, as originally set, contained the following 
varieties: 


Coe’s Golden Drop. Prairie Flower. 
Wolf. Marion. 

Russian No. 2. Forest Garden. 
Miner. Little Blue Damson. 


We have no record of the planting, and do not know 
the year, or the original number of trees, or the source from 
which they were obtained. The original planting is now 
represented by 1, Coe’s Golden Drop; 29, Wolf; 1, Russian 
No. 2; 10, Miner, and 0, Prairie Flower. 

The following additions have been made: In 1894, 57 
varieties; in 1895, IO varieties; in 1896, I variety; in 1897, 62 
varieties; in 1898, 31 varieties. The total number of varie- 
ties planted for trial is 169. Seventeen varieties have been 
lost through winter-killing, so that there are now living rep- 
resentatives of 152 varieties. Some of these give no prom- 
ise of value and will be discarded. The number that have 
proved suited to our conditions is not large, and nearly all 
of them are of the American group. Detailed descriptions 
are given only of those varieties that are fruited. A few 
others are briefly mentioned. 


AMERICAN EAGLE. (Prunus Americana.) 

Represented by nine trees planted in the spring of 18094. 
Trees well formed, spreading in habit, of moderate vigor. 
Leaves large; young stems and petioles densely puberulent. 
Bore heavily in 1897, followed by a light crop in 1898. Fruit 
large, round-oblong, dark red or mottled with small yellow 
spots; stem of medium length; skin thick; flesh firm, red- 
dish yellow, of excellent quality. Stone rather small for the 
size of the fruit, cling, rounded at apex, prolonged into a 
sharp point at stem end, strongly convex on the sides, mar- 
gin sharp, but not otherwise prominent. Ripe September 20. 


APRICOT. (Prunus Americana.) 


Planted in 1894. Of bushy habit, forming a close, com- 
pact head. Leaves large, broad, sharply serrate, stalks pale 
red, pubescent. Fruit medium in size, round-oblong, color 
red, where shaded mottled red on yellow. ground, bloom 
slight; suture inconspicuous, skin thick; flesh reddish-yellow, 
quite firm, juicy, sweet and of good flavor when fully ripe. — 
Stone cling, rather large, flat, moderately pointed at both 
ends, no prominent margin, roughish. Ripe September 4. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE, 33 


BOTAN. JAPANESE GROUP. (Prunus trifiora.) 


Our trees were planted in 1897 and have not yet had 
sufficient test as to hardiness. They have made a vigorous 
growth and are now well set with fruit buds. Leaves of 
medium size, glossy, light green, sharp-pointed at both ends; 
stalks short and stout. 


BURBANK. JAPANESE GROUP. (Prunus triflora.) 


Trees planted in 1897 bore a few fruits this season. 
Habit of growth upright, very vigorous. Leaves of medium 
size, broadly lanceolate, short acuminate, stalk short and 
stout. Fruit large, peach-like in shape; color deep red, on 
yellow ground, which appears in small spots; flesh firm, 
deep yellow; suture evident; stone small, semi-cling. Ripe 
September 12. 


CHAMPION. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees planted in 1894 have made a vigorous spreading 
growth, smooth, less thorny than most members of the 
group. Leaves large, light glossy green, strongly recurved, 
stalks red, short, somewhat pubescent. Not yet fruited. 


CHENEY. (Prunws Americana.) 


Planted in 1894. Very vigorous in growth and upright 
in habit, producing novirgate. drooping branches; quite 
thorny; leaves obovate, acuminate, three to five inches 
long, veins prominent, pubescent below, light green, leath- 
ery in texture, stalks stout, about an inch long; fruit large, 
somewhat oblique, pointed or rounded at apex; stem short, 
stout, set in a large cavity, suture evident; color dull red, 
mottled on a greenish-yellow ground; stone cling; skin 
thick, flesh firm, sweet, of good flavor. Ripe September 4. 
One of the most promising of the Americana varieties. 
Fruit fig. 1, plate V; tree, plate VIII. 


CHOPTANK. WILD GOOSE GROUP. (Prunus hortulana-) 


Trees planted in 1894 have made a vigorous growth 
each year, and have regularly killed back nearly to the 
ground each winter. Evidently too tender for this locality. 


34 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


CLARK. WILD GOOSE GROUP. (Prunus hortulana-) 


Trees well formed and of moderately vigorous growth. 
Kills back-at the tips each year. Leaves of mediumisize, 
rather broad for the species; fruit of medium size, nearly 
spherical, but somewhat irregular; color red in the sun, 
shading to light red on green ground in the shade; suture 
distinct; flesh firm, orange-red, very acid; stone cling. Ripe 
Aug. 30. The quality of the fruit does not commend the 
variety. 


CLINTON. MINER GROUP. (Prunus hortuwlana var. Mineri.) 


Trees planted in 1894. A vigorous grower, but has 
killed back repeatedly; worthless here, 


COE’S GOLDEN DROP. (Prunus domestica.) 


This well-known English variety is perfectly hardy in 
tree, but the fruit buds are yearly killed to such an extent 
that itis not at:all productive... Trees are upright aimee 
and of slow growth. Leaves of medium size, dull dark 
green, obtusely crenate, stalks glandular, pubescent, as are 
also the lower surfaces of the leaves; young wood dark pur- 
plish-red, glabrous. Fruit large, roundish-oblong, projected 
into a slight neck, and indented at insertion of stem, suture 
deep, sides somewhat unequal; color pale yellow or green- 
ish; flesh firm, of excellent quality; stone free, nearly straight 
on one edge, curved on the other, margin irregular, sharp, 
rough. Ripe September 20. 


COLORADO QUEEN. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees planted in 1894 are well formed and of vigorous 
growth, much inclined to the production of long drooping 
or pendulous branches. Leaves of medium size, broad, 
sharply serrate, light green, stalks slender, young wood light 
colored, glabrous. Fruit below medium in size, spherical, 
slightly indented at lower end; color dark purplish-red over 
yellow ground which shows as small dots; suture hardly 
apparent; stem long, rather stout; skin thin, flesh juicy, sub- 
acid, of fair quality; stone circular, convex. Ripe Septem- 
ber 4. | | 


NOTES ON PLUM. CULTURE. 35 


COMFORT. (Prunus Americana.) 


Of slow growth and straggling habit, very thorny, pro- 
ducing many drooping branches; leaves of medium size, 
ovate-lanceolate, sherply and irregularly serrate, stipules 
large and rather broad, soon falling. Hardy. Although 
planted in 1894 the trees have not yet fruited. 


COTTRELL. (Prunus Americana.) 


Planted in 1894. Trees vigorous, but irregular in habit, 
hardy; young wood brownish-red, glabrous; leaves above 
average size, dull light green, broad, coarsely and irregularly 
serrate; stalks glandular, rather short and stout, red, pubes- 
cent. Fruit medium to large, round-oblong, color red, 
nearly uniform, on lemon-yellow ground, and covered witha 
thin rosy bloom; skin thin, flesh firm, of superior flavor; 
stone semi-cling, large, smooth, elliptical with a prominent 
rounded margin, convex portion relatively small; stalk long, 
slender. Ripe September 14. Quality and productiveness 
place this among the desirable varieties. 


DEEP CREEK. (Prunws Americana.) 


Our trees were planted in 1894 and 1895. ‘They are in- 
clined to be irregular in habit and are of slow growth as 
compared with Weaver or Cheney. They are very thorny 
and in general appearance resemble wild trees; young wood 
glabrous. Leaves large, oblong-lanceolate, coarsely and 
bluntly serrate, stalks red, slightly pubescent, rarely glandu- 
lar. Fruit small to medium, roundish or slightly oblong; 
suture apparent, or in some fruits inconspicuous; color uni- 
formly deep red when fully ripe, bloom abundant; stem of 
medium length, slender; skin thick; flesh firm, juicy, sweet 
when ripe; stone semi-cling, oblong, sides strongly convex, 
pointed, smooth. Ripe August 30. Fairly productive. 
Trees planted in 1894 bore a light crop in 1896, a heavy crop 
feteo and aight crop in 1808.’ Fruit fig)2) plate *V tree) 
plate IX. 


FOREST GARDEN. (Prunus Anvericanda.) 


Tree typical of the class; leaves of medium size, light 
green, sharply serrate, the teeth overlapping, stalks reddish, 
nearly glabrous, glandless. Fruit medium in size, round; 


36 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


color dark purple-red; stem long, slender, skin thick; flesh 
moderately firm, of sub-acid flavor; stone semi-cling, rounded 
at lower end, sides convex, prolonged into a flattened point 
at upper end, roughish. Ripe September 16. Tree a heavy 
bearer. 


FOREST ROSE. MINER GROUP. (Prunus hortulana var. 
Minert) 


Represented by two station-grown trees. They were 
grafted in the spring of 1894, one on Myrobalan stock, the 
other on Americana stock; grown one year in nursery and 
set in orchard in 1895. Both fruited in 1897. [he trees are 
alike except that the one on Myrobalan stock is slightly 
larger than the other. Both are of good form and vigorous 
growth. Leaves medium, rather broad, dull light green, 
sharply serrate; stalk slender, puberulent, glands commonly 
wanting. Fruit medium in size, round, or somewhat oblique, 
dark red on yellow ground which shows as minute dots; 
stem long, slender; skin thin, suture obsolete, flesh firm, 
sweet and of fine flavor; stone cling, circular, but drawn into 
a point at the upper end, somewhat rough. Season medium, 
ripe September 4. A good and productive variety. Fruit 
fosTaplate Vis tree; plate ux: 


GARFIELD. WILD GOOSE GROUP. (Prunus hortulana.) 


Trees planted in 1894 have killed back so badly each 
winter that we may class this as too tender for this locality. 


HAMMER. (Prunus Americana.) 


Four trees planted in 1894 are of erect habit, but of slow 
growth, nearly free from thorns. Kills back at the tips to 
some extent and has not fruited. Leaves large, oval-ob- 
long, doubly crenate, light green, flat, stalks glandular; 
voung wood light-red, glabrous. 


HARRISON. HARRISON’S PEACH. (Prunus Americana:-) 


Trees of moderate vigor, forming round symmetrical 
tops; hardy. Leaves large, broad, margins loosely crinkled, 
very irregularly and sharply serrate; stalks stout, glandu- 
lar, densely puberulent. Fruit medium to iarge, round- 


NOLES: ONePLUM - CULTURE. ay 


oblong; color light red on a translucent light yellow ground, 
covered with a thin rosy bloom; stem long, slender, skin 
thick; flesh rich, juicy; stone cling, rather long pointed, con- 
vex on the sides, smooth. Season medium; ripe September 
11. A promising variety. 


HAWKEYE.,. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees planted in 1894 are well formed and vigorous, but 
not quite as large as those of Wolf, Weaver or Cheney of 
the same age. Leaves large, obovate, glossy green, sharply 
and irregularly serrate. Fruit large to very large, round, 
slightly flattened; color dark red shading to light red on 
yellow ground, which shows as conspicuous dots; bloom 
thin, suture apparent; stem stout, of medium length; skin 
thick; flesh very firm; flavor excellent, sub-acid; stone cling, 
very large, round oval, very flat, rough. Ripe September 
fous. desirable,variety. Plate XI. 


HILLTOP. (Prunws Americana.) 


A vigorous variety of spreading habit. Leaves medium 
to large, obovate, acuminate, irregularly serrate, leathery in 
texture, pubescent below; stalks red, pubescent, usually 
glandless. Trees were planted in 1894, but have not yet 
fruited. 


HOLT. (Prunus Americana) 


Planted at the same time as Hilltop and resembling 
that variety in vigor and habit. . Trees killed back slightly 
during the winter of 1895-6. Leaves large, acuminate, 
sharply and irregularly serrate, upper surface crimped, 
stalks glandular. Not yet fruited. 


IDA. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees planted in 1894. Very thorny, of slow irregular 
growth; young shoots somewhat pubescent; leaves large, 
broadly ovate-lanceolate, irregularly serrate, leathery in 
texture; stalks glandless or occasionally with a single small 
gland. Fruit of medium size, round oblong; suture evident; 
color mottled and shaded with red on yellow ground, stem 
of medium length, stout; skin thick, flesh pale yellow, in- 


38 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


ferior in flavor; stone cling, roundish, rather flat, blunt Bt. 
both ends, with no prominent margin. Season medium to 
late. Ripe September 18. Fairly productive. 


IDALL. MINER GROUP. (Prunus hortulana var. Miner.) 


Trees planted in 1894 have passed through four winters 
without injury and are apparently perfectly hardy. They 
are vigorous and have formed symmetrical heads. Leaves 
larire; ‘obovate, doubly serrate, dull dark green, stalks glan- 
dular and pubescent. Not yet fruited. 


ILLINOIS IRONCLAD. (Prunws Americana.) 


Planted in 1894. Growth slow. Trees much smaller 
than those of Wolf and Weaver of the same age. Leaves 
large, dark green, sharply doubly serrate, the veins pubes- 
cent below; stalks red, pubescent, glandular. Fruit or 
medium size, oblong, truncate at base, cavity large and deep, 
suture inconspicuous; stem long, stout; color red on lemon- 
yellow ground; stone cling, oval, flat, no prominent margin 
or point; flesh firm, sub-acid, of good flavor. Season medium 
to early; ripe September 6. 


INDIANA RED, MINER GROUP. (Prunus hortulana var. Minert.) 


Trees planted in 1894 have killed back every year and 
the variety is classed as too tender. 


JOE HOOKER. (Prunus Americana-) 


Trees of moderate vigor,. forming well-shaped heads, 
but showing a tendency to the production of long drooping 
shoots. Leaves rather small, ovate-oblong, stalks slender. 
Fruit medium to small in size, roundish-oblong; color red c on 
yellow ground. Ripe September rr. 


KAMPESKA, (Prunus Americana ): 


Trees planted in 1894. Growth stocky and slow, 
branches stiff. Leaves below average size, light green, 
obovate, sharply acuminate and very sharply serrate; stalks 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 39 


pubescent, glandular. Fruit small, round, dark purplish-red, 
bloom rather thick, stem of medium length, stout; skin 
thick; flesh of fair quality; stone semi-cling, oval, strongly 
convex on the sides, sharp on the edge but not margined. 
Ripe September 11, Tree productive, but fruit too small to 
‘be ranked as valuable. 


KICKAPOO. (Prunus Americana.) 


Planted in 1894. Not yet fruited. Trees of slow growth 
and straggling habit. Leaves large, broadly lanceolate, 
sharply and irregularly serrate, stalks glandular. 


KOPP. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees of good form and fair vigor, producing some 
drooping branches. Leaves large, dark green, sharply ser- 
rate; stalks red, pubescent, mostly glandless. Fruit medium 
to small, round, deep red, shading into the green ground, 
this mottled with white dots; skin thick; flesh firm, of good 
sub-acid flavor, sweet when fully ripe; stone nearly free, ob- 
long, pointed, strongly convex, smooth. Ripe September 
1. A productive variety. 


LATE ROLLINGSTONE. (Prunius Americana.) 


Trees of moderate vigor, forming round compact heads. 
Leaves of medium size, obovate-oblong, short acuminate, 
irregularly and unequally crenate; young shoots red, smooth, 
shining; stalks glandular, pubescent. Fruit medium in size, 
round, flattened at both ends, deep red, shading into light 
red; stem of medium length; skin thick; flesh firm, of excel- 
lent quality. Stone cling, broad-oval, sides moderately con- 
vex, smooth. Ripe September 11. Not to be distinguished 
from Rollingstone. Even in time of ripening there appears 
to be no difference here. 


LE DUC. (Prunus Americana.) 


The trees planted in 1894 are still rather small, but 
stocky and well-formed; they fruited heavily in 1897. This 
year they bloomed full, but matured a very light crop. 
Leaves large, light green, sharply serrate; stalks glandular, 


40 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


pubescent on inner side; young wood glabrous. Fruit of 
medium size, round, waxy yellow shaded with red; skin 
thick; flesh juicy, sweet and rich; suture obsolete; stone 
roundish-oval with convex sides, semi-cling. Ripe August 
25. Very productive. A good variety. 


LEONARD. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees of same size and appearance as those of Le Duc. 
Leaves large, rather short and broad, doubly and sharply 
serrate, stalks glandular. Fruit medium in size, round, 
dark red and mottled red on green ground; flesh not firm, 
quality only fair, acid; stone cling, small, smooth, roundish- 
oblong, with a rather sharp margin. Ripe September tr. 


LITTLE BLUE DAMSON. (Prunus domestica.) 


Represented by three trees grown at the station, two of 
which are on Marianna stocks, one on Prunus Americana. 
They were set in 1895. There is no appreciable difference 
in size, but the one on Prunus Americana is overtopping the 
stock and will probably be short-lived: In habit the trees 
are upright and the growth is vigorous. Leaves of medium 
size, dark glossy green, only moderately crinkled, stalks 
usually without glands. Fruit small, oblong, cavity scarcely 
apparent, no suture; color very dark blue, almost black with 
heavy blue bloom; stem short and stout, flesh firm, decid- 
edly acid; stone free, small, oblong, flat, rough. An abund- 
ant bearer, but fruit too small to be valuable. 


MARION. (Prunws dmericana.) 


Trees forming round, symmetrical heads; leaves of 
medium size, oval, sharply serrate, the teeth overlapping; 
stalk slender, glandless, or occasionally with one or two 
small glands; young shoots slender, glabrous. Fruit medium 
to large, round, flattened at lower end; purplish-red on 
orange ground, bloom thin; stem long and slender; skin 
thick; flesh sweet, juicy, of good flavor; stone semi-cling, 
rounded at base and pointed at the stem end; sides convex, 
margin rounded. Ripe September 15.’ Productive. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. AI 


MARYLAND. (Classed by J. W. Kerr with Prunus Besseyi.) 


This variety originated with J]. W. Kerr of Denton, Md., 
and is a seedling of Utah Hybrid. The latter is of doubt- 
ful origin. Professor Waugh thinks it a probable hybrid 
between Prunus Watsonz and Prunus Besseyz.* Our trees 
came from Mr. Kerr in 1894. They are the most straggling 
in habit of any inthe orchard, producing many very long, 
slender, light red shoots, which are projected horizontally 
or downward. Apparently perfectly hardy here. Leaves 
of medium size, elliptical, acute or short acuminate, crenate; 
stalks glandular. Fruit small, spherical, color dark brownish- 
red, shading to light red on green ground; suture obsolete; 
flesh soft, watery, quite sweet and pleasant to the taste; 
stone cling, short, obliquely-oval, rounded at both ends, 
rough. Ripe August 20. 


MINER. (Prunus hortulana var. Miner.) 


One of the varieties planted in the original orchard. 
There are now ten trees, all well formed and healthy. They 
have borne for several years and are productive, but 
occasionally the season is too short and the fruit does not 
mature. Leaves large, broad, often obovate, short acumi- 
nate, evenly crenate; stalks glandular. Fruit medium in 
size, nearly spherical or round-oblong; deep red over green- 
ish-yellow ground; stem long, slender; flesh firm and of very 
good flavor; stone cling, broad, short pointed at both ends, 
slightly roughened. suture obsolete. Ripe September 29 in 
1897; September 22 in 1808. 


MINNETONKA. (Prunus Americana.) 


Planted in 1894. Trees of slow growth, small, with 
bushy tops, quite free from thorns; young branches densely 
pubescent. Leaves large, broadly oval, dark green, coarsely 
serrate, stalks stout, usually glandless. Fruit small, oblong 
or oval, red on yellow ground; skin thick, flesh firm, rather 
acid, stone cling. Ripe September 11. 


* Vermont Station, 10th Report (1896-7), p. 105. 


Az NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


MISSOURI APRICOT. WILD GOOSE GROUP. (Prunus 
hortulana.) 


Trees grown at the station and set in orchard in 1895; 
fruiting first in 1897. Of moderate vigor, inclined to be ir- 
regular in habit. Leaves of medium size, ovate, coarsely 
and sharply serrate, pubescent below; stalks glabrous, 
mostly glandless. Fruit medium to large, roundish, slightly 
narrowed at stem end, truncate at apex, sometimes indented, 
stem long; color waxy yellow with red cheek next the sun, 
mottled all over with small light-colored dots; flesh firm, 
sweet, rich; stone cling, short and broad, rounded at apex, 
pointed at stem end, sides convex. Ripe August 29. One 
of the desirable varieties. 


MOON. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees planted in 1894 bore a few fruits in 1896, a heavy 
crop in 1897, and a light crop in 1898; they are not vigorous 
in appearance, and grow very slowly; young branches light 
colored; leaves medium in size, obovate, coarsely and irreg- 
ularly serrate, stalks glandular. Fruits medium, round or 
slightly oblong, deep red or mottled on yellow ground, su- 
ture obsolete; skin thin, flesh moderately firm, of good 
flavor, sub-acid; stone cling, short oval, strongly convex, 
with no prominent margin. Ripe September 5. 


OCHEEDA. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees of slow growth, forming round tops and produc- 
ing many drooping branches, very thorny. They were 
planted in 1894, began bearing in 1896, gave a good crop in 
1897 and a medium crop in 1898. Leaves large, oblong, 
acuminate, dark green, sharply and deeply serrate, pubes- 
cent below; stalks glandless or occasionally with two small 
glands, red, pubescent. Fruit of medium size, round-oblong; 
red on lemon-yellow ground with thick bloom; stem long; 
skin thick, flesh firm, of good flavor; stone cling, large, long- 
pointed, strongly convex on the sides, margin sharp,surface 
smooth. Ripe September rr. 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 43 


OGON. JAPANESE GROUP. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees of very vigorous growth, but killing back to such 
extent each winter that they have borne no fruit. Young 
twigs light-colored, outer bark on two-year-old wood green- 
ish-brown, showing many lenticles and cracks, on older wood 
becoming dark colored. Leaves lanceolate, glossy, light- 
green, crenate and glandular-denticulate; stalks short, glan- 
dular. Top grafts on native Prunus Americana inserted in 
1894 have fruited for four seasons. Our description of the 
fruit is drawn from specimens produced in 1897. Round- 
oblong, slightly flattened at apex, oblique at stem end, cav- 
ity rather shallow; suture inconspicuous; color dull yellow 
with thin whitish bloom; stem short, stout; stone free, oval, 
sides strongly convex, margin prominent and sharp; flesh 
thick, firm, meaty, of inferior quality. Ripe Augt 14. 
Piace cht: 


PEFFER’S PREMIUM. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees planted in 1894 are still quite small, but well form- 
ed; young wood glabrous. Leaves medium, broadly-ovate, 
light green, more or less doubly serrate, the teeth short, 
stalks red, with or without glands. Fruit of medium size, 
round, rather abruptly flattened at both ends; suture obso- 
lete; color deep red on yellow ground, conspicuously marked 
by “leather cracks” about the stem end; bloom thin; flesh 
firm, quality good; stone cling, circular, sides convex, sharp 
th the margins, smooth. Season medium; ripe Septem- 

Mer 11. 


PENNOCK’S HYBRID. (Prunus Besseyi X Prunus Americana.) 


A few years since, in the nursery of Mr. C. E. Pennock, 
of Bellvue, there appeared among a lot of seedlings of 
Prunus Lesseyz, one tree that, while bearing the flowers of 
Prunus LBesseyt had the habit and foliage of Prunus 
Americana. The fruit borne by this tree is nearls the size 
of wild Prunus Americana but incolor and flavor like Prunus 
Besseyt. The mixture of characters suggested hybridity and 
led Mr. Pennock to experiment in that direction. Pollen of 
Prunus Americana was successfully used on the stigmas of 
Prunus Besseyt and several hybrids resulted. These all 
resemble the plum in habit, but have the small flowers of the 
cherry. The leaf characters are intermediate, but generally 
most like the male parent. The fruit of most of the trees is 


44 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


not valuable, being small and very acid. The color in all is 
dark, and in general much like the cherry. One tree, how- 
ever, produces fruits that are considerably larger and much 
better than any of the others. It is to be introduced and 
may prove an acceptable addition to the list of varieties. 
This tree is of spreading habit, in general appearance like 
varieties of Prunus Americana. Leaves medium in size, 
varying from-ovate to lanceolate. Flowers small, produced 
in profusion. Fruit of medium size, spherical; color deep 
blue, with light bloom; flesh firm, of excellent flavor, 
possessing none of the astringency so noticable in the fruit 
of the other hybrids. The tree in bloom is illustrated by 
plate XIII, anda branch showing fruit in figure 1, plate XIV. 
It is worthy of further trial. 


PRAIRIE FLOWER. (Prunus hortulana, var. Minert.) 


Represented by nine old trees of uncertain age, and one 
tree planted in 1894. The young tree fruited in 1897, the 
others have born for several years. The old trees are fully 
developed, as large as the trees of Miner, and of the same 
appearance. Leaves large, broadly to narrowly ovate-lance- 
olate, evenly crenate, lower surface pubescent, stalks long, 
stout, glandular. Fruit of medium size, round-oblong, ob- 
scurely pointed; color red on yellow ground, flecked all over 
with small light dots; suture evident; stem of medium length, 
stout; skin thin; flesh firm, sub-acid, of fair quality; stone 
cling, rather broad, short pointed at both ends, margin 
rather sharp, slightly roughened. RipeSeptember 21. Very 
productive. 


PURPLE YOSEMITE. (frunus Americana.) 


In character of tree very closely resembling the wild 
plant: very thorny, and irregular in habit. Leaves of 
medium size, ovate or obovate; acuminate, doubly serrate, 
dark green, pubescent below; stalks glandless, or occasion- 
ally with two small glands. Fruit large, round-oblong, 
flattened laterally; color deep purplish-red; skin thick; suture 
obsolete; flesh firm, of fair quality; stone cling, flat, rounded 
at the ends, rather rough, margins not sharp. Season 
medium to late. Ripe September 24. | 


NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. ~ 45 


ROCKFORD. (Prunus Americana.) 


Our trees planted in 1894 are still rather small, but 
thrifty in appearance, forming round regular tops. Leaves 
large, coarsely and deeply serrate, short acuminate; stalks 
dark red, pubescent, mostly glandless. Fruit of medium 
size, oblong, somewhat pointed, broad at base; color dark 
red on green ground; skin thin; suture inconspicuous; flesh 
firm, very acid until quite ripe, then of good quality; stone 
cling, broad at stem end and tapering toa rather acute, 
thick apex, sides strongly convex, margin narrow, but sharp. 
Predictive, early: ripe’ August 31, 


ROLLINGSTONE. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees typical of the species, well-formed and of fair 
vigor. Leaves large, broad, irregularly crenate; color dark’ 
green, stalks mostly glandless. Fruit large, round, flattened 
at both ends; deep red shading to pink on yellow ground; 
stem of medium length, skin thick; flesh firm, good; stone 
cling, broad oval, sides convex, margins sharp, smooth. 
Season medium, ripe September 12. 


RUSSIAN No. 2. (Prunus domestica) 


Trees forming roundish heads, and making less growth 
than other varieties of the same class. Leaves of medium 
size, broad, dull green, evenly crenate; stalks short, gland- 
less. Fruit of medium size, inclined to be irregular in shape, 
often more or less constricted at stem end, and sometimes 
flattened at distal end; suture apparent, more deeply colored 
than surrounding parts; color deep purple, with heavy blue 
bloom, stem sout, of medium length; flesh firm, sub-acid; 
quality only fair; stone free. Season early, ripe August 15. 


SPEER. (Prunus Americana) 


Small, but vigorous trees of spreading habit, produc- 
ing long, slender branches. Leaves large, broad, acumin- 
ate, deeply and sharply serrate, dark green; stalk red, nearly 
glabrous, usually bearing small glands. Fruit medium in 
size, round-oblong, often contracted about the stem; suture 
evident; color purple-red on yellow ground; stem short, 
slender; skin thick; flesh firm and of good quality; stone 
cling, short-oblong, rather flat, ends blunt. Season medium, 
ripe September 17. Very productive. 


46 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


SUNSET. (Prunus Americana.) 


This variety originated with Mr. C. E. Pennock, of Bell- 
vue, Colorado. We have one tree planted in 1897 that pro- 
duced a few fruits this season. The tree is well-formed 
with a somewhat spreading habit. Leaves of medium size, 
broadly lanceolate, margin doubly and irregularly crenate, 
stalks glandular. Fruit medium to large, oval or oblong, 
stem rather long, slender; color deep red on yellow ground, 
beautifully shaded as it approaches ripeness; suture appar- 
ent; flesh firm, of excellent quality. Early; ripe August 25. 
The original tree shows great productiveness, which with 
the handsome appearance of the fruit, and its good quality, 
recommends the variety as a valuable acquisition. Fig. 2, 


Pate LV. 


e 


VAN BUREN. (Prunus Americana, var. mollis.) 


Trees of slow growth, appearing like dwarfs; tops well- 
formed, spreading; leaves broad, doubly serrate, dark green, 
stalks ashy-pubescent, glandular; fruit of medium size, 
spherical, suture obsolete; color deep waxy yellow, in part 
over-spread with light red and having a deep red cheek; 
stem stout; of medium length; skin thick; flesh sweet and 
rich; stone free, flat, rather broad, margin sharp oucmeee 
winged. Ripe September 22. Very productive ee 
the most promising varieties. Plate XV. 


WEAVER. (Prunus Americana.) ° 


Our trees planted in 1894 are larger than those of any 
other variety planted at the same time. They are vigorous 
and well-formed. The tendency to produce long slender 
branches is quite marked in this variety. Leaves large, 
obovate or oval, acuminate, somewhat pubescent below, 
leathery in texture, dark green, deeply serrate; stalk long, 
stout, glandless, or with occasional small glands. Fruit 
medium to large, round-oblong; suture evident, sides often 
unequal; color purplish-red on yellow ground, the red mot- 
tled with light dots; flesh firm, sweet when ripe, of good 
flavor; stone semi-cling, abruptly pointed, smooth. Ripe 
September 18. Plate XVI. 


NOTES ON -PLUNM> CULTURE. 47 


WINNEBAGO, (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees very vigorous, well-formed. Leaves large, broad, 
sharply serrate, produced in great abundance; stalks short, 
stout, glandular. Fruit medium to small, round, inclined 
to be irregular and one-sided; stem long, slender, cavity 
deep; color deep red on yellow ground; skin thin; flesh yel- 
lowish, soft, of inferior flavor, granular in texture; stone 
nearly free, elliptical, somewhat oblique; rather flat, rounded 
Mt Doth ends, roughish. Ripe September 18. Plate XVII. 


WOLF. (Prunus Americana.) 


Vigorous growing trees of spreading habit. Leaves 
large, ovate, acuminate, closély and sharply serrate, leathery 
in texture; stalks stout, ashy pubescent; on some trees 
wholly glandless, on others small glands are not uncommon. 
Fruit medium to large, round to round-oblong, slightly flat- 
tened, sometimes tapering somewhat toward the stem; stem 
short, stout, set in a small cavity; suture obsolete; color 
when ripe uniformly deep red, with heavy purple bloom; 
skin thick; flesh firm, of good quality; stone free, rather 
small, pointed at stem end, sides strongly convex, margin 
sharp and prominent, smooth. Season medium, ripe Sep- 
tember 16. Fruit Fig. 2, Plate VI; Tree Plate XVIII. 


WYANT. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees stocky, forming round heads, of slower growth 
than Wolf or Weaver. Leaves medium, crisp in texture, 
sharply serrate, dark green; stalks pubescent and glandular. 
Fruit large, round-oblong, flattened at apex; cavity large 
and deep; color purple red on yellow ground; stem short, 
stout; skin thick; flesh firm, of good flavor; stone free or 
nearly so, large, oblong, flat. Ripe September 18. Fruit 
eecweoate VII. 


YELLOW SWEET. (Prunus Americana.) 


Trees small, stocky, very thorny; leaves large, oval- 
oblong, irregularly crenate, stalks commonly glandless. 
Fruit large, round, color yellow, lightly shaded with red, 
bloom thin; suture apparent; stem short, stout; skin thin; 
flesh firm, juicy, rich; stone cling, oval, pointed at both ends, 
sides convex, margin sharp. Ripe August 31. Avery prom- 
ising variety. wiirut bic. 2,<PlatesVilly Tree Plate X1LX4 


48 NOTES ON PLUM CULTURE. 


REFERENCE TO PLATES. 


PLATE I. 


Fig. 1, Yellow Sweet; Fig. 2, Wolf, showing lack of affinity between stock 
and scion. The stock is being overgrown. 
Vig. 3, Plate of Weaver plums, reduced nearly one-half. 
| PLATE II. 
Illustrates the system of irrigation practiced. 


PLATE III. 
Showing the effects of the “Shot-hole fungus” (Cylindrosporium Padi 


Karst.) 
PLATE IV. 
Fig. 1, Black knot of the plum andcherry, (Plowrightia morbosa (Schw.) 
Sacc. ) 
Fig. 2, Plum pockets. (Havoascus Pruni Fckl.) 


PLATE V. 
Vig 1, Cheney; Fig. 2, Deep Creek; reduced nearly one-half. 
PLATE VI. 
Fig. 1, Forest Rose; Fig. 2, Wolf; reduced nearly one-half. 
PLATE VII. 
Fig. 1, Wyant; Fig. 2, Yellow Sweet: reduced nearly one-half. 
PLATE VIII. 
Cheney. 
PLATE IX. 
Deep Creek. 
PLATE X. 
Forest Rose. 
PLATE XI. 
Hawkeye. 
PLATE XII. 
A branch of Ogon from top graft on P. Americana. 
PUA TENOLLE cia 
One of Mr. C. KE. Pennock’s hybrids between P. Besseyi and P. Americana 
in bloom. 
PLATE XIV. 


Fig. 1, Fruit of Mr. C. E. Pennock’s hybrid between P. Besseyi and P. 
Americana. 
Fig. 2, Sunset plum, originated by Mr. C. EK. Pennock. 


PLATE XV. 
Van Buren. 
PLATE XVI. 
Weaver. 
PLATHIXV Et: 
Winnebago. | 
, PLATE XVIII. 
Wolf. 
PLATE XIX, 


Yellow Sweet. 


Plates 13 and 14 are from photographs by 8S. H. Seckner, all others from 
photographs by the author. 


PLATES I. 


z 
5 
é 
t:; 
: 
: 


as be daaeeesnesrtenoegen 
eZ 


Ey 


a 


yy 
ye 
ye 


Ze 


Lee 
Yess 


Fig. 3—Weaver. 


PLATE IJ.—Irrigation. 


PLATE III. 


Plum Leaves. 


PLATE IV. 


ig. 1—Black Knot. 


¥F 


2—Plum 1 vckets. 


big. 


PLATE V. 


satwasdneensiovebbvneetnntett biettebeebttemamunticnnetentneelnh lib oAN MAIR AN RED RTA I RRS 


WN | 


Fig. 2— Deep Creek. 


Ig. 2—Wolt. 


PLATE VII. 


2 —Yellow Sweet. 


PLATE VIII. 


Cheney. 


PLATE [X. 


° 


Deep Creek 


orest Rose. 


I 


PLATE XI. 


Hawkeye. 


PLATE XII. 


PLATS XIII. 


PLATE XIV. 


. 2—Sunset. 


Fig 


—H)y bri 


Fig. 1 


PLATE XV. 


Vun Buren. 


PUA XV): 


Weaver. 


PLATE XVII. 


Winnebago. 


PLATE XVIII. 


Wolf. 


PLATE XIX. 


Yellow Sweet. 


Wis. Bull. No. 63. 


[a RR EE ED 


UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. 


Agricultural Experiment Statten. 


BULLETIN NO. 63. 


THE CULTURE OF NATIVE PLUMS IN THE NORTH- 
ie co Boks 


MADISON, WISCONSIN, OCTOBER, 1897. 


ES" The Bulletins and Annual Reports of this Station are sent free to all 
residents of this State upon request. 


- a v ms. +, We, 4 Sager 
= ~ v* ay ey ees es pe 

; x “ ! 

“~ 


UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN. — 


AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 


BOARD OF REGENTS: 


STATE SUPERINTENDENT ° ° ° - ° EX OFFICIO. 
PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY ° - - - EX OFFICIO. 
JOHN JOHNSTON, STATE AT LARGE, - - ° - - ° PRESIDENT 
B. J. STEVENS, (2d District), , - - . CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 
STATE AT LARGE, - : - - . - - H. W. CHYNOWETH 
Ist DISTRICT, - - 2 - © - ° OGDEN H. FETHERS 
3p DiIsTRICT, - ° - - ° . - - W. A. JONES 
4TH DISTRICT, - . ° ° - - - © - GEORGE H. NOYES 
5TH DIstRICT, - - eS be . ° ° - - JOHN R. RIESS 
6TH DISTRICT, - - ° ° 2 ° . ° -FRANK CHALLONER 
7th District, - - & ° - ° e . WM. P. BARTLETT 
8TH DistTRICcT, ° - - - - ° - - ORLANDO E. CLARK 
9tH DISTRICT - - - ° ° - - ° - J. A. VAN CLEVE 


10TH DISTRICT, 


. - - * - - ° J. H. STOUT 
SECRETARY, E. F. RILEY, MApIson. 


Station Committee. 
Recents JONES, CLARK anp FETHERS. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION: 
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


W. A. HENRY, - - - ° - - - - - ° DIRECTOR 
8. M. BABCOCK, - - - - - ° - ° ° CuH1nF CHEMIST 
F. H. KING, - - - - - ° - ° © - PHYSICIST 
E.S.GOFF, - . - - - - - - - - HORTICULTURIST 
W. L. CARLYLE, - - - - - - - ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 
F. W. WOLL, - : - - . - ° - - - CHEMIST 
H. L. RUSSELL, - - : “ . - - : BAcTERIOLOGIST 
E. H. FARRINGTON, . - - - ° ° . Dairy HvtsBANDRY 
J.A.JEFFERY- - - - ° - a - ASSISTANT PHYSICIST 
J. W. DECKER, - - - - - - - ° . . DaIRYING 
ALFRED VIVIAN, - - - - - ° - ASSISTANT CHEMIST 
LESLIE H. ADAMS, ° - - - - - FARM SUPERINTENDENT 
IDA HERFURTH, = - ~ - - - CLERK AND STENOGRAPHER 
EFFIE M., CLOSE, - - - - - = - - - LIBRARIAN 


FARMERS’ INSTITUTES. 
GEORGE McKERROW, - - - - - - - SUPERINTENDENT, 
HARRIET V. STOUT, - - . at, ees - CLERK AND STENOGRAPHER. 


General Offices and Departments of Agricultural Chemistry, Animal Hus- 
bandry, Bacteriology, Farmers’ Institutes and Library, in Agricultural Hall, 
‘near University Hall, on Upper Campus. 

Dairy Building and joint Horticultural-Physics Building, west end of Obser- 
vatory Hill, adjacent to Horticultural Grounds and Experiment Farm, 

Telephone to Station Office, Dairy Building and Farm Office. 


THE CULTURE OF NATIVE PLUMS IN THE NORTH- 
WEST. 


E. 8S. GOFF. 


The adoption of the native plum into culture on a market scale in 
this country marks a decided step of progress in American pomology. 
This step is the more important because at least one species of the 
native plum promises to furnish our hardiest tree fruit, with the pos- 
sible exception of some of the crab apples. Already some varieties of 
Prunus americana are being successfully grown and profitably mac- 
keted at Stonewall, several miles north of the city of Winnipeg, ia 
Manitoba, and the northern limits of the profitable culture of this 
Species are by no means determined. 

It may be.new to some readers of this bulletin that the native plums 
are already extensively grown for market at certain points in Iowa, 
Nebraska and Minnesota. One Nebraska orchard, 40 acres in extent, 
is reported, and several Iowa growers measure their crops in hundreds 
of bushels. New plantations are being made in some sections, and 
very many trees that have been planted are not yet old enough to 
fruit. 

The culture of the native plums has been chiefly developed in the 
Mississippi Valley. This has doubtless come about from two causes. 
The wild plums were probably of larger size in the sparsely timbered 
weoded belts of this region than in the denser forests of the east, aud 
the flower-buds of the European plum were found not sufficiently 
hardy to endure the winters, hence the pioneers who were horticultur- 
ally inclined, made a virtue of a necessity and transplanted the best 
wild plums to their gardens. As the country became more settled and 
the wild plum thickets became fewer, the product of the garden plum 
trees began to find its way into market. Néxt, certain enterprising 
nurserymen discovered the possibilities in this fruit, and began to 
propagate, and to grow seedlings from the choicest’ varieties. Thus 
a new fruit has been introduced to our markets that promises to be- 
come only second to the apple in importance. 

The season of maturity of the native plum in the northwest extends 
from the latter part of July to the middle of October. The fruit is 
excellent for culinary uses and preserving, while the finer varieties are 


4 ; ‘Bulletin No. 68 


becoming prized for dessert use. The roe hardiness of the Ameri- 
cana species adapts it to a very wide range in which the culture of 
other tree fruits is greatly restricted. It should be remembered that 
the European plum has been cultivated during many centuries, and 
the improved varieties are the result of selection through scores of 
generations. That our wild plums should be able to cope so suecess- 
fully with the European varieties on our tables and in our markets is 
sufficient evidence that there is a great future for this fruit. 

The botany of the native plum has been carefully studied by Prof. 
L. H. Bailey, of Cornell University and Prof. F. A. Waugh, of the Uni- 
versity of Vermont.1 If this were the only phase of the subject that 
interests the fruit grower, the present bulletin would not be called for. 
But with the increased interest in the culture of this fruit, many are 


anxious to learn more about 


rg 


its culture and of the best va- 


rietiés, especially under north- 
western conditions. It has 
‘seemed well, therefore, to treat 
the subject from other stand- 
points. 

The superior hardiness of the 
flower-buds of the native 
plums belonging to the Amer- 
icana species is fully estab- 
_lished. The flower-buds of the 
European plums Prunus domes- 
tica, growing on our grounds, 
during the winter of 1896-7, 
were almost totally destroyed 
though the minimum tempera- 
ture reached only 23° below 
zero, while of the varieties be- 
longing to the Americana spe- 
cies, the flower-buds were en- 
tirely uninjured so far as could 
be discovered (Fig. 1). In 


~~ other localities the flower-buds 


Fic. 1.—Showing influence of winter of 1896-97 of varieties of the Americana 


on fruitfulness of our Americana plums, : 
Cleft} as compared with our Domestica plum-are known to have en 


plums, (right). dured a temperature of 40° be- 


low zero- 


It is generally conceded that the flower-buds of varieties of the na- | 
tive plum belonging to the species Prunus Chicasa and P. hortulana are — 


1 See Bull. 38, Cornell University Experiment Station; Bull. 53, Vermont ‘Experiment 
Station, and tenth report of the Vermont Experiment Station, 


oe 


Sm St on hy eee Beye Bena ot 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. eo 


inferior in hardiness to those belonging to the Americana species. 


But the hardier varieties of both the Chicasa and the Hortulana types 
are more reliable for fruiting in the northwest than those of the Eu- 
ropean plums; and the indications are that they will prove more sat- 
isfactory than the recently introduced Japan plums. ; 1 

_ Productiveness of the native plums.—The native plums are scarcely 
surpassed in productiveness by any of the tree fruits. Indeed, many 
varieties are in constant danger of injuring themselves by overbearing. 
The tendency is, as with some varieties of the apple, to overbear each 
alternate year, producing under-sized fruit,;and to be unfruitful the 
intermediate seasons. By properly thinning: the fruits, however, this 
tendency may be in part overcome. In many varieties we may confi- 
dently expect a crop every year unless untimely frosts should destroy 
the blossoms. Certain varieties at our Station have not failed to fruit 
since they first came into bearing, four years ago, and much longer 
records of consecutive bearing have often been.reported. With proper 
treatment, there is every reason to suppose that our plums will prove 
as reliable in bearing as any known fruit. a 

Quality of the native plums.—People who have been accustomed to 
the fine European plums of our markets generally pronounce the 
native plums as greatly inferior to them. “The northwestern plums 
will be of almost no value where the best European plums can be 
grown,’* embodies a sentiment that has been often expressed. But 
those who have become accustomed to the finer sorts of native plums, 
and have learned their value for culinary use, think differently, as is 
shown by the excellent market demand for them in many of our 
cities. 

The thickness and harshness of the skin is perhaps the most serious 
objection to the native plum. But when divested of the skin, the flesh 
of the finer sorts is scarcely surpassed in richness by that of any of 
the stone fruits. In some varieties, as the Mankato and Gaylord, the 
skin separates very readily from, the ripe fruit. The skin of the 
Cheney and Ocheeda practically dissolves in cooking, and that of the 
Aitken and a few other sorts is so thin and delicate when the fruit is 
ripe that the skin is no more objectionable than that of the finest Eu- 
ropean or Japan sorts. 

The market value of native plums..This fruit must compete in the 
market with the choicest varieties of the European and Japan plums, 
the peach, the pear, the apricot and the grape, as well as of several 
tropical fruits. Will it sell at profitable prices under these condi- 
tions? This is the question that must decide its fate as a market 
fruit. The testimony on this point, while not unanimous, is abund- 
antly sufficient to answer this question in the affirmative. The fol- 


* Robert Hamilton, Canadian Horticultural Magazine, Vol.1, p. 73. 


6 Bulletin No. 68. 


lowing letter from Mr. J. W. Kerr, the leading cultivator of the na- 


tive plum in the east, answers the question for the eastern markets, 
and the others appended answer it equally well for the west. We 
need not be longer in doubt on this point. ’ 

Mr. J. W. Kerr of Denton, Md., writes: 

“You ask me for my experience as to prices of best native plums 
compared with European kinds. The facts in the premises are about 
in this way. From about 200 trees of Domesticas I have never had 
fruit sufficient to make a test of the relative market merits of the twa 
species, but repeatedly in the Baltimore and Philadelphia markets, 


when the finest of ‘Europeans’ from New York state and elsewhere 


were a drug at prices ranging from 15 cents to 30 cents per 10 lb. bas- 
ket, my natives, such as Lone Star, Whitaker, Wild Goose, Newman, 
etc., have sold readily at 40 to 60 cents per basket of same size; the 
prime reason for which is found in the fact that the natives were in 
market a month before these Europeans. Last year, in St. Louis mar- 
ket, the natives and Europeans were in competition with each other 
simultaneously. And a reporter for the ‘Fruit Trade Journal’ of New 
York, stated in that paper that ‘The fine large green and yellow gages 
will not sell at any price while the bright red Wild Goose variety 
moves right along.’ I have had one crop in fifteen years from 75 
Shropshire Damson trees, and that very crop netted me 15 cents per 
basket less than my native plums.” 

Dr. A. B. Dennis, of Cedar Rapids, Ia., writes: 

“My prices here range from $1 to $2 at wholesale for natives; can- 
not get any more for Japan or Domestica plums, and the former out- 
sell the other two by one half. The past season, I saw over 50 bu. of 
fine Damson plums thrown into the Cedar River for want of pur- 
chasers; at the same time I sold over 200 bushels of natives. The na- 
tives always sell at a fair price. They seem to be in greater demand 


by our people, perhaps for the reason that for years, bse were the ~ 


only kind of plums to be had.” 

Mr. Thomas Frankland of Stonewall, Manitoba, writes: 

“This year I had over 40 bushels in my whole crop, 25 of which I 
sold to Messrs. Robinson & Co., of Winnepeg. On Oct. 4th, the man- 
ager of their grocery department says: ‘Of the 25 bushels, we have 
sold some out for dessert and considerable for preserving. We sold at 
the same prices as the Oregon and British Columbia fruit, all giving 
perfect satisfaction,’ and concludes the letter by asking in advance 
for next season’s crop.” 

The time seems to have come when the fruit grower of the north- 
west may adopt the native plum as a standard fruit, both for home 
use and for market. While it would probably be unwise for the be- 
ginner to embark extensively into the culture of this fruit, there is no 


eee 


i = vy ye * -. 


Culture of Native Piums in the Northwe st. tal 


reason to doubt that, with a careful selection of varieties grown on a 
moderate scale, it may be found as profitable as any other fruit. The 
markets of the smaller towns and cities of the northwest, where the 
native plum is already pretty well known, will doubtless be found 
more satisfactory at first than those of the larger cities, but the mar- 
kets of the latter may be expected to improve as the merits of the 
fruit become better understood. The competition of wild plums that 
are inferior in size, and are brought to market in all manner of ves- 
sels may interfere with the sale of cultivated native plums for a time 
in some sections, but the growing of only the larger and choicer va- 
rieties and marketing the fruit of these in the modern fruit packages 
will soon place the cultivated plums beyond the range of this competi- 
tion. re 

Propagation of the native plums.—Varieties of the plum are usually 
propagated by grafting or budding,-as they do not come true from 
seed. There is perhaps no better stock on which to work the Amer- 
icana varieties than their own seedlings. To grow these, pits may be 
saved of any vigorous variety, whether wild or cultivated. The fruits 
may be gathered when ripe enough to drop and mixed in a box or bar- 
rel with plenty of clean, moist sand. It is often recommended to re- 
move the pits from the pulp and to place the pits only in the sand. I 
have sometimes done this, and have also mashed the fruits up in sand, 
and have had good success with all three methods. The receptacle, 
containing the sand and pits, may then be placed in a cool cellar that 
is damp enough to prevent drying of the sand, until late autumn, 
when the pits may be sifted out of the sand, and planted in a well- 
drained place on which the surface is not so much inclined as to cause 
washing of the soil. The pits may be planted in rows 3 feet apart, 
and 3 or 4 inches apart in the row, the pits being covered about 3-4 
inch. To prevent washing of the surface soil, it is well to cover the 
rows by laying narrow boards on the ground over each. The boards 
should be left on until the young plants begin to appear in spring, 
when they should be promptly removed. After the plants have 
started, the soil about them and between the rows should be well eul- 
tivated throughout the season. Under favorable conditions, the young 
trees will be large enough for budding by the latter part of summer. 
The seedlings on which the buds fail may be rebudded the following 
June from cions cut in March and kept dormant by storing them in 
an ice house. For grafting, the young trees may be taken up in au- 
trmn and stored in a cool cellar for working during the winter, or 
they may be left in the ground and grafted in place in the spring. 
Owing to the difficulty of keeping the cions and roots in the best con- 
dition, the latter method is preferred by many. The cions may be cut 
and inserted, at once, in the crown of the seedling, but unless the 


- 


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8 : Bulletin No. 63. BS ge 


grafting is done before the leaf buds on the cions have swollen, the — 


~ 


operation is practically sure to fail. 

For winter grafting, the cions should be cut in autumn and stored 
in a cool cellar. They should be kept sufficiently dry so that the buds 
will not swell in the least, but not so dry as to cause shriveling. A 
good method is to pack the cions in leaves raked up on a dry autumn 
day, and to press the leaves down about them with a heavy weight. 
The leaves tend to maintain a uniform temperature about the cions, 
and to prevent them from undue loss of moisture. The roots and the 
root grafts should be kept so cool that growth will not commence un- 
til time for planting out. The grafting is performed in the same 
manner as with the apple. | 

The varieties of the Chickasa plums may be worked upon Marianna 
plum stocks. In the southern states, the Marianna plum roots very 
readily from cuttings, hence stocks of this variety may be produced 
very cheaply, and of very uniform quality. In the northern states the 
cuttings root less readily. By planting cuttings of young wood in the 
open ground in autumn, I have succeeded in growing about 50 per 
cent. of them, and the trees thus grown were abundantly large for 
budding the same season. But in general it will probably be found 
cheaper in the north to purchase the stocks than to grow them. Trees 
of bearing size may be top-grafted in the orchard in the spring with 
air success, but I have found it unsatisfactory to graft trees of bear- 
ing size in the nursery and then remove them to the orchard the fol- 
lowing year. It is undoubtedly better to graft nursery trees while 
quite young, and then to remove them to the orchard after the grafts 
have grown a year or two. 

Soils adapted to the native plums.—Different varieties of the native 
plums are found to succeed on rather a wide range of soils, from a 
somewhat heavy clay loam to fine sand. The planter will need to se- 
lect varieties that have been found successful on land similar to his 
own. As the plum tree is very prolific, it cannot be expected to do 
its best on land that is not well supplied with plant food and moist- 
ure, and as it is not much subject to blight and winter killing, we need 
not fear to plant it on land that is abundantly fertile. 

Distance in planting.—There is no question that the trees of the na- 
tive plums have often been too closely planted. The facts that the wild 
plums are often found in thickets and that many varieties do not bear 
well when planted alone, have given rise to the idea that trees of the 
native plums should be planted closer than those of other tree fruits, 
But the individual tree of any kind cannot do its best service when 
crowded by too near neighbors. The tree of the Rollingstone plum 
on good soil will attain a diameter of 25 feet and that of the Miner 
and Wild Goose will grow considerably larger than this, yet these 
large trees often bear as freely as smaller ones when given sufficient 


5 ye ; oe: GP a ee 


- Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 9 


room. It would, therefore, seem unwise to plant the larger growing 
sorts less than 25 feet apart. Even at this distance, there would be 
littie room for the use of spraying apparatus between the trees as _ 
they approach full size. There is no objection to planting the young 
trees at half this distance provided the cultivator has the courage to 
eut out the intervening trees when they begin to crowd their neigh- 
bors. 

The arrangement of -arieties in planting.—The experiments of Prof. 
Waugh, of the Vermont experiment station, indicate that the great ma- 
jority of varieties of the native plum are incapable of self-fecundation, 
i. e., that their own pollen is impotent on their own pistils, a most 
important discovery. It follows that unless varieties are intermingled 
in the plantation we can hardly expect the trees will be regularly 
fruitful. The mixed planting of varieties of native plums has been 
often recommended, but Prof. Waugh’s investigations just referred to, 
greatly emphasize the importance of this recommendation. In large 
plantations, the time cf blooming of varieties planted contiguous 
should also be considered and the trees of each variety should be 
planted near to those of other varieties that bloom at the same time. 
Mr. Kerr, of Maryland, has published in his trade catalogue an elabor- 
ate table, showing the period of blooming of all the varieties grown 
by him, from which it is possible to select varieties that bloom si- 
multaneously. Prof. Waugh has also published this table in the tenth _ 
annual report of the Vermont Experiment Station. The comparative 
dates of blooming of different varieties may not be quite the same in 
the northwest as in Maryland, but these tables will doubtless prove of 
great assistance in the selection of varieties for the northwest. 

Plower-infertility in the native pluns.—The flowers of very many varie- 
ties of the native plums are often infertile through the absence or fee- 
bleness of the pistil. This infertility varies greatly in different sea- 
sons, even in the same variety. It appears to depend much upon the 
condition of the tree as regards reserve food. In trees that have be- 
come exhausted from overbearing, drought or poverty of soil, the 
flowers are probably less liable to bear sound pistils than when the 
tree has a good supply of reserve food. As a rule, trees that bear 4 
large percentage of imperfect flowers are unproductive. The remedy 
is to prevent overbearing by thinning the fruit and to provide abund- 
ant plant food and moisture. 

Pruning.—The plum tree requires little pruning except enough to 
keep the top symmetrical, and sufficiently open to admit abundant 
light. Early spring—before the leaf-buds have begun to swell—s 
perhaps the most favorable time for pruning. . 

Insect and fungous enemies.—The plum is harassed by its full share © 
of insect and fungous enemies, and success in growing it will depend 


10 PP ee Bulletin No. 63. 


to a considerable extent, upon the thoroughness with which these are 
combatted. 

The Plum Curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, is its most important ais 
sect enemy. It is chiefly this insect that stings the young fruits, 
causing little drops of gum to exude from the surface and the fruits 
to fall prematurely. The native plums are less susceptible to injury 
frem the curculio than the European varieties, but no plums of good 
quality are free from its depredations in localities in which it has 
gained entrance. Damage from the curculio will probably increase 
as the thinner skinned native plums become more generally grown. 
While the present damages from it are so slight in many localities 
in the northwest that growers find it unnecessary to use preventive 
measures, we can hardly hope that this immunity will continue. For- 
tunately we are able to prevent its injuries to a great extent by 
methods that are not very expensive when applied on a reasonably 
large scale. 

The plum curculio in its perfect form is a small, rough, grayish 
or blackish beetle, about one-fifth inch long g, and is shown magnifizd 
in Fig. 2. The female begins to lay- 
her eggs in the young fruit when it is 
scarcely larger than an apple seed, 


and continues to do so during a period 
varying from 10 to 30 or more days 2ec- 
cording to the weather. The work of 
the cureculio can readily be detected by 
the peculiar crescent-shaped mark 
with a small hole midway between its 
ends (Fig. 2, d), in which the egg is 
deposited. The number of eggs depos- 


' ited by a single female, if undisturbed, 
Fic. 2.— Showing plum curculio and 


stung foe a, ety ee is chiysalis has been variously estimated at from 
c, beetle: d, stung plum. showing cs 

crescent- shaped mark. Natural 50 to 100. The egg hatches in 3 to 7 or 
size indicated by short lines. | 


more days, the period depending much 

on the weather. The larva feeds on 
the interior of the fruit, attaining its growth in 3 to 5 weeks, when it is 
about two-fifths of an inch long, of a glossy, yellowish-white color, with 
a light brown head (Fig. 2, a). The fruit is so much injured by the larva 
within it that it usually falls to the ground before the grub is full 
grown, though in some seasons the larva may be found in the ripe 
fruit. The mature larva escapes from the fruit and enters the ground 
to the depth of 4 to 6 inches, where it passes the chrysalis stage, and 
emerges as a beetle in late summer or early autumn. The beetle 
sometimes injures apples in autumn by eating cavities in the fruit. 


= ae s 


we 


Cutie of Native Plums in the Northaest. 11 


It passes the winter beneath the loose bark of trees or in other se- 
cluded places and emerges in spring in time to deposit eggs in the 
plum, as above described. During the period of egg deposit the beetle 
feeds to a limited extent on the foliage of the plum. 

Preventive measures.—The beetles become stiffened in cool nights, 
and hence may be readily jarred from the tree in early morning. Ad- 
vantage is taken of this fact to jar them upon a sheet-covered frame 
placed beneath the trees, on which they may be destroyed by han1. 
As this method, which is commonly known as the “jarring process,” 
is the most important means of combatting the curculio, the needed 
apparatus will be described in detail. Several forms of curculio 


Sf a ~~ 
So LSE SS aE ——— 
pf ei he BT yp LAGE GT 
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Fic. 3.—Showing frame of curculio catcher. Half of the frame is represented as 
standing vertical. - 


_eatchers are sold in the plum districts of the eastern states, but the 
form here shown (Fig. 3) may be made -by any one handy with car- 
penter’s tools, and is not expensive. To secure the greatest light- 
ness, the frame is made circular; and for convenience in handling it 
is made in two sections which are joined by hhinges, one of which 
is placed at the center and the other at one end of the frame. The 
other end is left without a hinge to form a slot to the center of the 
frame, permitting it to be slipped beneath the tree, so that the trunk 
of the tree will stand at the center of the frame. For full grown 
plum trees the frame should be about 10 feet in diameter, which 
is as large as can be conveniently handled. In trees of the largest 


7 5 2 eget ; fi wos ; wee: 


12 aed Bulletin, No. 63. 


size, it is necessary to place the frame beneath part of the tree at 
a time. y 
The hoop shown in Fig. 3 is formed of a strip of clear yellow pine, 
3%, by 3 inches; the other wood parts of the frame are of white pine, 
7% by 3 inches. The ends of the hoop are secured at the slot end by 
bits of sheet iron fastened to the parts with light clinch nails. The 
whole frame is then covered with heavy sheeting, or unbleached mus- 
lin, which is fastened to the different parts with carpet tacks, after 
which the slot is cut open along one of the wood strips to the center, 


where a small hole is cut out to aeecommodate the trunk of the 


tree. The free edge of the cloth flap thus formed is then tacked 
to a light strip of wood of sufficient width so that it will cover 
the seam formed by cutting the cloth, and rest by its own weight 


Fic. 4.—Showing manner of using curculio catcher. 


on the frame beyond. A bit of old rubber hose, or a mat. of cloth is 
next tacked to the main pieces of the frame at the center, and 
the apparatus is ready for use. The manner of using it appears in 
Fig. 4. Two men are required to operate it readily and rapidly. 
When the apparatus has been placed about the tree, a stub formed 
by sawing off a small limb at the top of the trunk is struck two or 


Culture.of Native Plums in the Northwest. ° 18 


three brisk blows with a light mallet having a long handle, when ‘the 
cureculios drop on the sheet, usually accompanied with numerous other 


- insects. As the curculio is a small insect, very close observation is 


necessary to detect it on the cloth, but with practice it is more readily 
discerned. The insects may all be swept into a box or pail and de- 
stroyed together, but this method kills many harmless and some 
beneficial species, while it requires nearly or quite as much time as 
to hunt out the curculios and destroy them singly. More than four 
or five curculios are seldom found beneath one tree on a given morn- 


ing. 


As soon as the young fruits commence to form, watch should be 
begun for the curculio, and when the crescent-shaped marks appear 
the warfare should commence. The work should start before sunrise 
if the number of trees to be gone over is large, and should proceed 
every fair morning as long as any curculios are found. On very 
windy, cold or rainy mornings the insects are not extant, hence it 
is useless to go over the trees. The number of mornings it is neces- 
sary to apply the jarring process varies much with different seasons. 
If cold and rainy periods are frequent, the egg-laying period is pro- 
longed so that it may be necessary to continue it three or even four 
weeks, but if the weather is uniformly warm and bright two weeks 
may suffice. ee 

The jarring process is less expensive than it might at first appear. 
It should be remembered that it is necessary to spend but a moment 
at each tree, each morning. A total outlay in labor of 10 or 20 cents 
per tree will usually suffice to save a crop from serious injury, an 
expenditure that is abundantly warranted by a good setting of fruit. 

While the jarring process ereatly lessens damage from the curculio 
it must be admitted that it is not a complete preventive. The fact 
that the insects are removed from the trees during the egg-laying 
period presumes some damage to the crop. In addition to the jarring 
process all plums that fall prematurely should be promptly gathered 
and destroyed by burning or otherwise, before the larve have time 
to escape. This is scarcely less important than jarring the trees. 

Spraying the trees in spring with water containing Paris green at 
the rate of one pound to 200 gallons undoubtedly destroys the cur- 
culio to some extent, but experiments have not proved this treatment 
tobe fullysatisfactory. Plums grown on ground that ismuch frequent- 
ed by poultry are rarely seriously injured by the curculio. It is prob- 
able that the larve are largely caught by the poultry as they escape 
frcm the fruit. The poultry, on the other hand, are not inclined to 
roost in the trees, and do not eat the fallen fruit. When plums are 


grown only for home use, no better method can be recommended 


than to plant the trees in the poultry yard, or on ground that is much 


A 


14 | Bulletin No. 63. 


frequented by poultry. Feeding poultry beneath the plum trees will 
doubtless encourage them to frequent their vicinity. _ 

The plum gouger, Coccotorus scutellaris, is often nearly or quite as 
destructive to the native plums as the curculio, for which it is some- 
times mistaken. It is a considerably larger insect than the curculio— 
and appears in spring at about the same time. The female de- 
posits her eggs in the young fruit, making a round hole in the 
skin instead of the crescent-shaped mark, and the larva feeds on the 
kernel of the pit. Fortunately it is susceptible to the same preventive 
measures as the curculio. . 


Fig. 5.—Showing foliage of native plums deformed by the plum aphis. 


The Plum Aphis——In some seasons the foliage of the plum is mueh 
injured during June and July by the plum-tree aphis, Aphis prunifovlii. 
This is a small insect that infests the under side of the leaves, causing 
them to curl and wrinkle as shown in Fig. 5. When first hatched 
these insects are whitish green, becoming deeper green and when 
mature some of them are black. - 

The aphid, or plant lice, as they are often called, are especially 
injurious to plums of the Americana species. They do not eat the 
leaves directly, but suck out their juices, interfering with their nor- 
mal functions. In extreme cases, they almost defoliate the trees. 
Any interference with normal leaf action is injurious to the growing 
fruit, and should, therefore, be guarded against, : 


Os ab 


co Pg: Pe NEG i y 


. Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. - 15 

These insects are difficult to combat because they feed on the under 
side of the leaf, and are largely protected by the rolling of the leaves 
about them. They are not destroyed by poisons, because they do not 
eat the substance of the leaf, hence we must depend upon smother- 
ing them by some material that clogs their breathing pores. Kero- 
sene is perhaps the best ready-available material for this purpose. 
It must be applied in a diluted form or it will injure the tree. The 
kerosene emulsion, which is a mixture of kerosene and soap suds, 
or an intimate mechanical mixture of kerosene and water answers the 
purpose well. To make the emulsion, place one pint of kerosene in 
a tin can that is provided with a screw top or tight cork; then dis- 
solve one-fourth pound of-good hard soap, or one quart of soft soap 
in two quarts of boiling water; pour the boiling soap solution into 
the can, close it quickly, wrap the can with a cloth to prevent burn- 
ing the hands, and shake it violently for one minute. Before using, 
dilute the emulsion with an equal bulk of cold water. If rain water 
is used, the proportion of kerosene may be increased, thus making 
a cheaper emulsion. In this case the dilution with water should be 
increased in proportion. The above formula will make about one 
gallon of the emulsion. If a larger amount is needed the ingredients 
may be increased proportionally. 

Several spraying pumps.are now made that spray kerosene and 
water together, thus dispensing with the kerosene emulsion. When 
used with reasonable care these pumps work satisfactorily. 

The best time to spray for aphidz is probably when the leaf-buds 
are expanding, or before the leaves are old enough to point down- 
ward, provided the insects are at all numerous at this time. They 
are then readily reached with the spray, and by destroying those first 
hatched we reduce the danger of a serious attack later. But aphide 
are usually unnoticed until the leaves begin to curl, and then it is 
difficult to reach them for the reasons already noted. By standing 
beneath the branches of the tree and directing the stream upward and 
outward, applying it with considerable force and very freely, the 
aphidz may usually be so far reduced in numbers that their natural 
enemies will get the mastery. It must be confessed, however, that 
the results of spraying are not always satisfactory. 

The pear-tree slug, Selandria cerasi, sometimes injures the leaves of 
the plum in Wisconsin. This is a shiny, blackish or olive-brown, soft- 
bodied snail-like creature, with the fore part of its body much swollen. 
It feeds on the upper side of the leaves, consuming the inner tissues, 
- leaving only the veins and lower skin. It is not often troublesome 
until late July or early August, but it usually works rapidly, and 
sometimes does much damage before it is discovered. Spraying the 
foliage with water containing fresh hellebore powder, at the rate of 


16 _ Bulletin No. 68. & 

am ounce to two gallons, promptly destroys the pear-tree slug. Kero- 
sene is also effectual, and if the trees are without fruit, Paris green 
may be used at the rate of a pound to 200 gallons. See Fig. 6. 

The red spider, Tetranychus telarius, is sometimes injurious to the 
foliage of Americana plums in Wisconsin. This insect is so minute 
that it would hardly be discovered by the ordinary observer; but its 
presence may be suspected by an unhealthful appearance of the fo- 
liage, and by a delicate, silken network that covers portions of the 
leaves .and stems. A forcible and copious stream of water directed 
against the under side of the leaves and over the young stems will 
usually so far reduce the insects in number that they will cease to 


do material harm. 


Fic. 6.—Pear tree slug. Shows natural Fig. 7.— Bumble flower beetle, 
size at top. natural size. 

The bumble flower beetle, Euphoria inda, sometimes destroys plums in 
Wisconsin, but I think its injuries are not common. This is a large 
yellowish-brown beetle, of which the wing covers are sprinkled with 
small irregular black spots (Fig. 7). It pierces the skin. of the nearly 
ripe fruits and eats the flesh. In the summer of 1896 it was very in- 
jurious at Madison. The only preventive known is to destroy the in- 
sects wherever they are found. 

Plum pockets, or plum bladders.—Most people who are at all familiar 
with the native plums, whether wild or cultivatéd, have observed, on 
certain trees during the early part of summer, peculiar, pale, swollen 
deformities that seem to occupy the position of fruits. They are in- 
deed monstrously-deformed fruits, due to the growth within their 
tissues of a fungous parasite, of which there are several different 
species that affect plums and some other stone fruits (Fig. 8). 

This disease is well known to most growers of native plums, and 
on certain individual trees it often proves very destructive, It has 


et 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. ! pin yeas 


BLP, eee 
al bee 


~ 
Dir at 


= 
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never been known, however, to become widespread and to attack plum 
trees indiscriminately. One tree in the plum orchard may, in a given 
i season, bear nothing but plum pockets, while other trees in the vicin- 
ity, perhaps of the same variety, may show no signs of the disease. 
~The following year, the affected tree may bear normal fruit, and the 
trouble may or may not appear again. It is comforting to know _ 
that the disease does not appear to be on the increase, and there is 
no oceasion for alarm concerning it. 


Fig. 8.—Showing branches of native plum tree affected with ‘‘plum pockets.” After 
Atkinson. 

Plum, pockets are caused by various fungi belonging to the genus 
Exoascus.* It is closely allied in its characters and life history to the 
“curl leaf” that is often so injurious to the peach, and of which one 
form sometimes attacks the Chickasaw plums. Strictly speaking, 


*See Bull. No. 73, Cornell University Experiment Station,—‘‘ Leaf Curl and Plum 
Pockets,” by Dr, Geo, F, Atkinson. 


=. ‘ee a) fe,“ AF Syn x me a7 or ae 


ig Bulletin No. 63. 


therefore, the terms “plum pockets” and “leaf curl” are general, rather . 


than specific, but as the life histories of the various fungi causing 
the different diseases are very similar, the few preventive measures 
that we know apply to all of them equally. The fungi causing these 
diseases live within the tissues of the affected plants, and they are 
perennial; that is, they remain alive within the tissues from year to 
year, hence a plant once infested may continue to be infested for an 
indefinite number of years. The mycelia of these fungi have been 
found within the tissues during winter by different investigators, and 
have been traced in spring from the buds or branches into the young 
leaves and fruits. It is true that a tree that is affected one year is 
not always visibly affected the following season. Climatic conditions 
probably influence the amount of injury that is apparent in any given 
season. 

Just how these diseases gain access to the trees in the beginning 
is not well understood, for while the fungi produce spores that are 
set free in the open air in abundance, attempts to spread the disease 
in peach or plum trees by means of the spores have proved unsuccess- 
Tul.* 


With our present limited knowledge of “plum pockets,” all that we 


can do to prevent damage from the disease is to cut off and burn all © 


affected parts, and to take no cions or buds for propagation from 
trees that have ever manifested the disease. In removing the affected 
parts, it is well to cut considerably below the point of visible in- 
fection, as this may remove the seat of the disease. In badly affected 


trees the experiment of very severe cutting back, with the hope of re- » 


moving all of the infested wood, might prove useful. Since cions or 
buds are not to be taken from infested trees, all such trees should 
be marked as they are discovered, for the affection may not b2 
apparent at the time the buds or cions are desired. 

The premature rotting of plums.—Certain varieties of the native plums. 
are subject to rotting on the tree at the time of maturity, especially 
if the weather at this season is warm and wet. It is very natural 
to ascribe this trouble wholly to the warm, wet weather, but it is 
really due to a fungous disease that is favored by such weather. This 


being the case, by taking the proper precautions we may, in part - 


at least, prevent the trouble. 

The premature rotting of plums is due to a fungous parasite, of 
which the scientific name is Monilia fructigena, Pers. This fungus at- 
tacks not only the fruit, but the flowers, leaves and even the fruit 
spurs. It makes its appearance on the flowers about the time the petals 
fall, at first as a slight discoloration, which rapidly increases in size 
until the whole flower assumes a brownish hue. The fungus may pro- 
ceed from the flower to its stem, destroying that also. The dead flowers 


*1,¢. p. 350. 


Mee Sef 
-) re 


ee : Culture of Native Plums in the ‘Northwest. ; 19 


a 


usually remain on the tree three or four weeks when, if the weather 
is wet, they are reduced to a soft mass of rotten tissue which is 
washed off by the rain and distributed to other parts of the tree. 
These decayed flowers are highly infectious, and falling upon the 
leaves or fruit, spread the disease to these parts. The presence of 
the fungus on the leaves and fruit is first revealed by a discoloration 
of the tissue about the point of infection. If the weather at this 
time should be warm and rainy the fungus in the fruit progresses 
rapidly, and soon the entire plum becomes brown, shrunken and soft. 
Later the fruit stalk is attacked and finally the dead stalk and fruit 
either fall to the ground or dry up while attached to the tree, ma- 
turing in the meantime myriads of spores that retain their vitality a 
long time. The dried fruits, if undisturbed, may remain on the tree 
until the following spring. (Fig. 9.) 

The disease gains entrance to the flowers in spring through the 
spores, that live over from year to year. Since every fruit destroyed 


by the fungus matures mil- 
lions of spores, .many of 
which remain attached to its 
surface for several months, 
every decayed fruit that is 
permitted to hang on the tree 
until the following spring is 
a source of infection to the 
next plum crop. As soon as 
the ripe fruits that escape 
the rot have been gathered, 
all decayed ones, whether on 
the tree or on the ground, 
should be collected and des- 
troyed by burning or bury- 
ing. It is wise, also, to rake 
up and burn the fallen leaves 
in autumn, and thus destroy 
all adherent spores of the 
fungus. Spraying the trees 


with the Bordeaux mixture Fig, 9.—Showing plums destroyed by the plum-rot 


in early spring, taking care eee remaining attached to tree. After 


to thoroughly wet the trunk and branches, will tend to prevent the 
germination of spores on the tree, and thus lessen the chances of 
infection of the flowers. Planting and pruning the trees with refer- 
ence to securing abundant circulation of air among the leaves and 
fruit, and thinning the fruits so that no two specimens hang in con- 
tact will also tend to reduce the rot. 


ar nth ere dence re ey Sa ig Chea Nuala « Oe Ue OE ee 


20 OS Bulletin, NO.- ba, | ne ae 

Black-knot of the plum.—This disease seriously affects the Ameri- 
cana plums in some cases, but as it is generally pretty well known, 
it seems unnecessary to treat it at length. It is a disease of 
the branches and persons unfamiliar with it will gain a good idea 
of it from the name. The affected parts swell, forming more or less 
elongated knots or bunches which become black in color during the 
fall or winter. They are formed by the growth within the tissues 
of a fungus, Plowrightia morbosa, which usually destroys, sooner or 
later, the portion of the branch beyond the affection. All affected 
branches should be promptly cut off, a few inches below the visible 
infection, and burned. 

The plum scab, Cladosporium carpophilum is a fungous disease which 
attacks the fruit something in the same manner as the apple scab 
attacks the apple fruit. It injures the fruit in appearance and the 
cracks that often occur in the scab favor infection by the plum rot 
fungus. This disease has not yet proved serious, but Prof.. Pammel, 
of Iowa, thinks it is on the increase. Spraying with the Bordeaux 
mixture or ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate shortly before 
the fruit matures would probably prevent it. 

Thinning the fruit is essential in many varieties of the native plums 
where regular cropping or large-sized fruit is desired. The tendency 
of some varieties to overbear is well illustrated in Fig. 10, which 
shows a fruiting branch of the Gale seedling plum as grown at our 
Station. The experiment was made by thinning the fruit on a por- 
tion of this tree, so as to leave only one plum to two inches of branch. 
This necessitated removing nearly four-fifths of the crop. As appears 
in Fig. 10, which shows part of the thinned portion ofthis tree, the 
fruit on this branch is considerably larger than on the one not 
thinned, but it was still considerably undersized, and it is clear that 
from this tree the plums should not have been left as near together 


as one in two inches. This tree, however, was in a somewhat feeble 


condition from overbearing in past years. A healthy tree that had 
been kept properly thinned would doubtless mature one fruit to two 
inches without seriously overtaxing itself. 

The fruit should be thinned as early in the season as it can be 
preperly assorted. All fruits stung by insects or otherwise imperfect 
should be removed in the thinning. 


CULTURAL METHODS IN THE NORTHWEST. 


In order to ascertain the cultural methods that are practiced by the 
more successful plum growers of the northwest, a list of ten questions 
was circulated which elicited numerous replies, and from these the 
following advice has been deduced: ~ 

Question No. 1. “About what per cent. of damage to your plum crop 
do you estimate from the curculio?” : 


wae 38a 


ae 4 , ¥ . : > 
~ % - ee ie . he ' 


en: Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 21 
Nineteen correspondents submitted a definite numerical estimate in 
reply to this question. The average of these estimates is a fraction 


over 17%. The highest estimate was 50%, while several reported no 
damage. A few of the replies are quoted. 


7 


Fic. 10.—Showing tendency of some varieties of native plums to overbear, and suggest- 
ing amount of thinning required. 

“For some reason the curculio does not flourish here, though several 

years ago I found two specimens of Domestica fruit with the crescent 

mark, That is all that I have ever seen.” H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia, 


e wi” 


’ 


f 
ie ie 4 r 
Dg a on ae 


. t +> 


29 | Bulletin No @5: 


“IT do not fear the curculio at all in a large orchard of Americana and ~ 


Chickasaw plums when the crop is a fair one, but am disposed to con- 
sider the curculio as an aid since the insect causes a thinning of the 
crop, thereby saving labor and expense.” Hon. J. G. Berryhill, Des 
Moines, Ia. “The plum trees always set more fruit than they can 
carry and the damage from curculio usually amounts to no more than 
a judicious thinning. . .” E. F. Stephens, Crete, Neb. 

One correspondent who reports no damage from the curculio esti- 
mates that ten per cent. of his plums are stung by the plum gouger. 

Question No. 2. “Do you use any means to prevent damage from 
the curculio? If so, what means?’ 

Seventeen correspondents report that they do nothing to prevent 
damage from curculio. Two gather and destroy the damaged fruit, 
four practice the jarring process, three spray two or three times with 
water containing London purple, while two keep poultry among their 
plum trees. One correspondent sprayed his trees two seasons with 
water containing one pound of Paris green to 200 gallons, but his 
discontinued spraying as he saw no benefit from it. 

Question No. 3. “From your past experience, how many seasons out 
of ten would you expect a good crop of plums? How many a fair 
erep?” P 

From the testimony of 19 correspondents who gave numerical an- 
swers to this question it would appear that about 5.2 “good crops” of 
plums may be expected in ten years, and of the years in which a 
good crop is not produced, a fair crop would be produced 2.8 times. 
This would leave only two seasons out of ten without at least a fair 
erop of plums. — 

“T don’t know of any fruit which bears more regularly (than the 
native plum) unless it may be our mulberry or persimmon.” B. A. 
Matthews, Knoxville, Ia. 

Question No. 4. “Do you cultivate your plum trees, or grow them in 
grass? 

Of twenty-seven correspondents who replied to this question all 
recommend cultivation but one, who recommends “No cultivation but 


good manuring and left in foxtail (grass).’”” One recommends culti- 


vation for young trees and grass for old ones. Five recommend both 
cultivating and mulching. 

“T cultivate thoroughly all trees outside of my chicken yard, and 
of those in the chicken yard, I mulch the entire ground heavy with 
manure. The ground cannot be made too rich for plums, and there 
is nothing like cultivation from early spring until the first of August. 
I have outlived the idea of- growing a good crop of plums and a 
good crop of grass and weeds the same year.” G. A. Ivens, Iowa 
Falls, Ia. 

“I cultivate my plum orchard thoroughly with the Clark Cutaway 


Be ‘ F 2 ar y ~_ tif 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. ~ 23 


harrow, commencing early in the spring as possible, continuing at in- 
tervals of a week or ten days throughout the season and closing 
about the first of September, and under no circumstances allow 
grass to grow in the orchard.” Hon. James G. Berryhill, Des 
Moines, Ia. 

Question No. 5. “What have you found the most satisfactory way to 
put up your plums for market?” 

Fourteen correspondents use baskets varying in size from the 8 fb. 
grape basket to the half bushel market basket. Two prefer berry 
boxes, while five use baskets for a part of their crop and berry boxes 
for the remainder, berry boxes being preferred for the early varieties 
or for plums that are to be shipped a long distance. 

Question No. 6. “Do you wait until the plums are soft before you 
gather them, or do you gather them when somewhat hard?” 

Twenty-two correspondents would gather the plums when some- 
what hard, but four of these are careful to wait until the plums are 
well colored. Four others would permit the plums to get ripe on the 
trees for the home market, while for shipping they would pick some- 
what hard. 

“It is always best to pick them by hand off the tree when rather 
solid. They ripen up nicely in basket and keep twice as long as they 
would when left on tree till soft.’ “Plums are best for cooking and 
preserving when picked before soft.” Geo. S. Bacon, Des Moines, Ia. 

Question No. 7. “How do the prices of finest native plums compare 
in your market with those of the eastern or California plums?” 

Five correspondents report better prices for the finest native plums, 
while six report that the natives do not compare favorably in price 
with eastern or California plums. One reports prices about equal. 
Two report that while the prices of the natives are lower than for the 
Domestica plums the demand for them is much better. 

“The finest native plums are handicapped in price by the quantity 
of wild plums which come into market and which are offered at from 
59 cents to $1.00 per bushel.” EH. F. Stephens, Crete, Neb. 

“This season I have sold 465 bushels of (native) plums for $320. 
This was the worst season to sell them perhaps we ever had.” B. A. 
Matthews, Knoxville, Iowa. 

See other letters on p. 6, treating of prices of native plums. 

Question No. 8. “From your experience, what amount, would you 
consider a good yield from a tree at its prime, of one of your more 
preductive varieties?” 

The average of 21 estimates in reply to this question is a trifle over 
21-2 bu., though the estimates vary from 1 to 6 bu. per tree. 

Question No. 9. “If you were to plant out an orchard of 500 plum 
trees for market, what varieties would you select, and how many 
trees would you plant of each?” 


Dy a “Bulletin No. 68. 


As the climate differs materially in the different sections from 
which reports have been received, it seems well to summarize these 
reports by states rather than to group all into one table. 

Eleven reports from Jowa, consolidated, recommend the followane 
varieties in the numbers set opposite to each: 


AVS ret TL Gates iors tists’ 800) Ha mmictescersee 165| American Hagle.* 50)*Pilote sesso 50 
WiGlteticeriius Sood 625 «Gavlords see 150| Champion.......... 50) Rockforde. 24... 50 
Hawkeye. ........ Sibl = Weaver saee 140} Chas. Downing... 50] Rollingstone .... 50 
Stoddard. .......% 340)- Milton <\ srw one 125} Communia* .... 50] Steinman........ 50 - 
Forest Garden.... 440} Marcus.......... 100) Forest Rose. ..... 50} Monona ......... 40 
‘DeiSotowsss wee: 400} Quality.......... 100} Gaylord’sGolden 50! Lombard*.. .... 25 
MEMOIR ae fos, ee 275| Wayland ........ 75} Keith: .......... 750)_Moore’s Arctic= a0 
GWE y egok A aie nasser Se 250| Wild Goose...... 75| Poole’s Pride... 50 . 

LGU aA cele 200} Illinois Ironclad 54} Haag.... ........ 50 a 


* Prunus domestica, 


Eight reports from Minnesota recommend the following varieties 


— 


in the following numbers: 


POSOLO si), Death 2 920 Ocheeda SP APS 70; Champion .... .. 10| Purple Yosemite. 10 
Wi vant se... eh. ek S1D| WeLNOn serrate 50, Chas. Downing.. 10) Quaker...... eat, 
Mankatos-.¢”, s7i 250) Wolt ike. oh eee 45+ Choptank.’... .. ° 10) Rockferd 2st 10 
Cheney... ... 2. 220): Cothralb asec aes 25] Deep Creek...... 10). Smith’: .) sues 10 
* Decker’s Seedling 22C} Black Hawk ..... 20] Forest Garden.. 10] Speer.... ........ 10 
DUTIWISS «Fels cs 170] Hammer... 20] Galena.... .... +. 10| Yellow Sweet... 10 
TUNIS 2 SEs ra os 135} Hawkeye~....... 20) Gaylord int... 2: 10| Idawy 5) .eccneeeenee 
Rollingstone ..... 120] Nellie..>......... 20| Illinois Ironclad 10) Milton.......... 5 
New Ulm .... ... 110} Peffer’s Premi’m 20} Louisa .......... 10| Roullette... .... 5 
Stoddard ........ 100} Weaver.......... SOP Old Gold aa .ce 10 
WiGGUares oe ete 100} American Eagle. 10} Newton Egg .... 10 


One report from Nebraska recommends 200 each of Miner and Wild 
Geose, and 100 of Wolf. ; 

One report from Manitoba recommends 100 trees each of De Soto, 
Hungarian, (Prunus domestica) Ida, Speer and Weaver. 

It is noticeable that while in Nebraska the majority of the trees 
recommended belong to Prunus hortulana, those recommended from 
the other sections named largely belong to the Americana species. 

Several correspondents replied to this question by submitting a list 
of varieties without stating the number of trees they would plant of 
each. As these recommendations are valuable, a few of them are ap- 
pended: 


es pall > , . 4 - ‘ * -« ¢ ~ aay 


iy ih 
. 


a Yi Be 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 25 


“With my present knowledge, if I were to plant an orchard of 5)0 
plum trees, I would select the following in the order of ripening: 
First the Milton, ripening in this latitude the first half of July; the 
Forest Garden, ripening from the 12th to the 25th of August; the 
Wolf, ripening from the 25th of August to the 25th of September; the 
Wyant, ripening from the 28th of August to the 10th of September; 
the Miner, ripening from September 5th to October 10th. The late 
varieties are generally more profitable than the early varieties in view 
of the fact that the early ones compete with the small fruits, and lL 
therefore would not plant as many of the Milton and the Forest Gar- 
den as I would of the other varieties.” Hon. J. G. Berryhill, Des 
Moines, Ia. 

“The leading varieties with me would be Wild Goose, Peach Leaf, 
Robinson, Pottawattamie, Wyant, Miner, DUlinois Ironclad, Wolf, 
Keith, Hawk Eye, and Sloe.” B. A. Matthews, Knoxville, Iowa. 

“T would plant mostly of Chas. Downing, Hawk Eye, Stoddard, Gen. 
Grant, De Soto, Champion, Miner and Beaty.” Dr. A, B. Dennis, 
Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

“T plant many of extra early varieties, such as Odegard. An early 
variety has many advantages. Cheney, Rockford, New Ulm, Wyant, 
Wolf and Ocheeda are all good.” <A. Norby, Madison, S. Dakota. 

Question No. 10. “Can you mention about the date at which the na- 
tive plums began to receive attention from cultivators in your lo- 
eality ?” 

From the data furnished in reply to this question, it would appear 
that one of the earliest to be in the selection and culture of native 
plums was Mr. B. A. Matthews, of Knoxville, Iowa, who with his 
father, began transplanting the choicest wild plums from the thickets 
as early as 1855. Mr. O. M. Lord, of Minnesota City, Minn., and Mr. 
Edson Gaylord, of Nora Springs, Ia., began the same creditable work 
about 1867. The father of Mr. W. S. Widmoyer of Dresback, Minn., 
transplanted native plums to his garden at least as early as 1867. It 
is quite possible that others may have attempted the culture of 
native plums somewhat earlier than the dates mentioned. 

In the report of the State Agricultural Society of Iowa from Jeffer- 
son, Co., in 1865, it is stated that “The (wild) plum, when removed and 
cultivated, or when grown from choice pits, becomes greatly improved 
and forms an element in every well regulated garden or door yard.” 
In the report of the Pottawattamie county (Iowa) fair for 1865 it is 
stated that “Mr. D. C. Bloomer had some very nice specimens of culti- 
vated wild plums and winter apples.” At a meeting of the Wisconsin 
State Horticultural Society, held in the capitol at Madison, Jan. 22, 
1867, “Mr. Adams thought we must rety on some variety of the wild 
type (of plum) for a hardy, productive and reliable fruit,” and “On mo- 
tion of J. C. Plumb, it was Resolved, that we recommend selecting our 


26 Butera No. 63. 


finest native plums and the seeds of the same, and cultivating them 
with the view of procuring varieties of especial hardiness, productive- 
ness and good quality.” At a meeting of the Minnesota Horticultural 
Society held in Faribault, in 1868, Mr. Elliot spoke of native plums, 
saying that “one variety from the grounds of Mr. Wm. M. Harrison 
was taken to the St. Louis fair and pronounced superior to the Miner 
plums,” and it is added “that Mr. Elliot makes a practice of grafting 
from the finest trees.” In 1884 Mr. O. M. Lord presented a paper before 
the Minnesota Horticultural Society on the native plums, which seems 
to have been one of the first contributions to the literature of the 
subject. . 
Varieties of native plums.—A sure evidence of the increasing inter- 


est in native plums is found in the rapid multiplication of named va-~ 


rieties during recent years. Already these are numbered by the hun- 
dred. In the list appended only those varieties are named that are 
now grown to a greater or less extent in the Northwest. Most of the 
varieties of native plums have been described by Prof. Bailey of Cor- 
nell University (Bull. 38, Cornell Univ. Expt. Sta.) and by Mr. J. W. 
Kerr, of Denton, Md. (see Mr. Kerr’s trade catalogue). While these 
descriptions are very accurate so far as they relate to the characters 
of the fruit and tree, they give little testimony as to the success or 
failure of the varieties in the Northwest. It is also probable that de- 
scriptions of varieties from specimens grown in the east will not al- 
ways prove accurate for the same varieties grown in the northwest. 


For these reasons it has seemed well to supplement the descriptions 


of varieties with the opinions of leading northwestern plum growers, 
as to the value of the different varieties as expressed to the writer in 
correspondence. The descriptions of Prof. Bailey and Mr. Kerr have 
been freely used for the varieties that have not been well tested at 
our own Station, with such additions from the writings of corre- 
spondents as seemed to add any points of value. 

The list of native plums is certainly much larger than it should be, 
and it is hoped that publishing the testimony of growers regarding 
the poorer varieties will-aid in sifting them out. The descriptions of 
several varieties in the following list have been compiled from private 
letters, and are quite incomplete. They are published because the 
complete descriptions have not as yet been made. 

The species and group to which the different varieties belong is ap- 
pended after the name so far as this information can be giv en, and 
the excellent classification of Prof. F. A. W augh of the Vermont Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station (Tenth Annual Report, Ver. Agr. Expt. 
Sta.) has been followed. As a guide to the extent to which the differ- 
ent varieties are being grown in the northwest, the number of growers 
that have reported upon each is appended in parenthesis. 


Illustrations of native plums.—tit is extremely desirable that some — 


method of description and illustration may be found that will enable 


=" ea | 2 \ * 
os Ae’ Pat ‘ 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 27 


reasonably well-marked varieties of our native plums to be identified. 
How far this is possible remains to pe seen. The experiment is made 
in this bulletin of publishing natural-size, half-tone illustrations of 
a few varieties. In each of these, the fruit and the stone are shown 
in two positions, one of which is intended to show the width and the 
other the thickness of each. A typical leaf of each variety is also 
shown. How much these illustrations will add to the descriptions of 
the varieties they represent may perhaps be decided by trial. 


Aitkin—Prunus americana. (Nigra group.) (Fig. 11.) 

Fruit very large, oval, slightly truncate at both ends, suture very 
obscure; skin nearly uniform, deep dark red, without dots, a little 
paler on shade side; flesh rich yellow, rather firm, sweet, moderately 
rich; skin very thin and tender, may be eaten with impunity and is 
without harshness when fruit is fully ripe; stone large, but remark- 
ably thin, obscurely margined; leaves broad, with glandular stalks. 
Tree very vigorous, reported productive. Season very early. De- 
seribed from samples from J. M. Underwood of Minn. Found wild in 
Aitkin Co., Minn., by D. C. Hazelton; introduced in 1896, by Jewell 
Nursery Co., Lake City, Minn. The reports thus far received from this 
plum are very favorable. (5 reports.) 


American Hagle—Prunus americana. 
“Very large, skin dark purplish-red when fully ripe, form roundish- 
oblong, cling. * * * One of the finest of the group.” Kerr, Md. 
“Leaves rather large, the. stalks glandular. Introduced by Osceola 
Nursery Co., Osceola, Mo.” Bailey. Bull, 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 
“Good for market.’ Luedloff, Minn. 
‘Likely the best Americana.” Stark, Mo. 2 reports.) 


Anderson’s Early Red. 

“A young and regular bearer. Fruit medium size; quality medium; 
season 10th to 20th of August. Found along the river near Sioux 
Rapids, Iowa.” Hill, Ia. (1 report.) 


Apricot—P. americana. 

“large, nearly covered with red on yellow ground, globular; cling. 
feo NOt profitable;? Kerr; Md, 

“Not self fertile.” Luedloff, Minn. ; 

“Very large, best quality; moderately productive.’ Frankland, 
Man. (2 reports.) 


Arkansas Lombard—P. angustifolia.* 

“Fruit of medium size and quality, fair bearer.” Marshall Bros., 
Neb. 

“Tree handsome and symmetrical—not very fruitful.” Berryhill, Ia. 

“Above medium size, round, red; cling. * * * Drops as soon as 
mape. Kerr, Md. = (2 reports.) 


August—P. americana, var. nigra. 

“Large, purplish-red, oblong; cling. Trees quite distinct in appear- 
ance owing to the apricot-like foliage. They are rapid, upright, nice 
growers but not productive.” Kerr, Md. Season medium. (1 report.) 


Beaty—P. angustifolia. 
“Slightly above medium size, round, red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
“Large as Wyant; firm-fleshed; skin with slight trace of astringency; 
nearly free stone. * * Grown by Snyder and Son, Center Point, Ia.” 
Budd, fa. (1 report.) 


* P. angustifolia, Marshall; P. Chicasa or Chickasa, Michaux. 


Baraboo—P. americana. 

“Large and as firm as DeSoto; better for canning, sauce or jam; 
early as Cheney; drops when barely ripe, but keeps well after gath- 
ering.” Toole, Wis. A local variety, not yet introduced. (1 report.) 


Fie. 11.—Aitkin plum, natural size. 


Bean—P. americana. 

This was grown by H. Knudson of Springfield, Minn., but does not 
seem to have succeeded elsewhere. ‘Too small and uncertain for mar- 
ket.” Harris, Minn. 

“yellow, small; often nearly ruined by curculio; of no value.” Norby, 
S. Dak. : 

Grown at our Station but not yet fruited. Leaves small, glossy, 
glandular, sharp-serrate. (3 reports.) 


‘ 


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pte Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest, veceeaig 


Bixby—P. americana. 
“Large, red on orange, roundish, slightly flattened at the ends 
sometimes; cling. Handsome and of good quality.” Kerr, Md. | 
“Not productive, irregular bearer. Medium to large; Sept. 1 to 10; 


fair quality; poor shipper; tree a poor grower; fruit too soft. Not 
recommended.” Wragg, Ia. 


Well thought of by Matthews and Budd of Ia. 


~ 


(4 reports.) 


f : ts me 
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| ie ‘5 


Fie. 12.—Black Hawk plum, natural size. 


Black Hawk—P. americana. (Fig. 12.) 


Very large, deep red, a little paler on shaded s.iue, considerably flat- 
tened, more convex on suture side making it appear one-sided, suture 


apg Came) Bulletin Nov 68 


distinct; flesh yellow, tender, rich, excellent; free-stone; skin separates . 


readily from fully ripe fruit. Season early Sept. 
“Hardy; fine grower. Fruit of good size, rough-looking, lacks at- 
tractive color; skin thick and pit very large. Inferi ior to many others.” 


Norby, S. Dak. 


“Very productive; very regular in bearing; very large; fair quality. 


Very strong, healthy grower. Quite desirable.’ Wedge, Minn. 
“Under favorable conditions, medium to large; fine appearance; pro- 

ductive; fair quality; inclined to overbear; does not stand drought 

well. Not wor thy of propagation for our lowality = Harris, Minn. 
Found wild in Black Hawk county, Ia (7 reports.) 


Brainerd (Brainerd’s Best)—P. americana. 

“Rather small, medium early; fairly productive; of fair quality. Not 
worth perpetuating.” Heideman, Minn. 

Said by Mr. Lord of Minn. to be very good on clay soils but worth- 
less on sand. Found wild in Ramsay Co., Minn., prior to 1884. 

(2 reports.) 

Brittle-wood. 

“Large, good.” J. Wood, Minn. (1 report.) 


Caddo Chief—P. angustifolia. 
“Below medium size, round-oblong, red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
“Trifling in size and poor in quality.” Matthews, Ia. (1 report.) 


California (California Seedling)—P. americana. 
“Large, cherry-red, roundish; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
“Very large, * * * fine quality; fine tree; very productive. Val- 
uable.) Terry, la: 
“Not an early bearer, fruit fair.” Matthews, Ia. (3 reports.) 


Carver—P. americana. 
“Large, mottled-red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
Introduced by Chas. Luedloff, Cologne, Minn. (1 report.) 


Champion—P. americana. 

“Very large, dark-red, round, inclining to oblong; cling. 
Does not succeed well here.” Kerr, Md. 

“A seedling of Hawkeye; promises well, very late. Tree similar to 


er meek, 


Hawkeye in growth; somewhat straggling, very hardy. Leaves large, ~ 


dark; fruit very dark red, oblong. Season middle of Sept. Originated 
in Pottawattamie Co., Ia.’”’ Berryhill, Ia. 

“Hardy, and a great bearer; too late for this section.” Norby, S. 
Dak. 

“Very productive; fine quality.” Bacon, Ta. 

“Large, late, productive, valuable.” Terry, Ia. 

Originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry, of Crescent, Ia. 

(6 reports.) 
Charles Downing—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 

“Large, round, réd; cling. * \* * Tree vigorous, Spreadiiwam 
fine variety.” Kerr, Md. 

“A seedling of Wild Goose; has a beautiful round fruit; ripens in 
August with a long period of ripening. Tree a very fine grower, very 
spreading, with better foliage than Wild Goose or Milton.” Berry- 
hill, Ia. 


“Very desirable in color, extra good quality but ‘not Gitte large - 


enough.” Dennis, Ia. 
“Very large, * * *- very productive if worked on peach.” Terry, 
Ta. 
Wragg and Matthews of Iowa have not. found it profitable. Origi- 
nated under cultivation with H, A. Terry, Crescent, Ia., in 1885. 
(9 reports.) 


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Ee Culture oF Native Phidne in te Northwest. Cap Le 


: | Cheney—P. americana (Nigra group). (Fig. 13.) 

2 Fruit large to very large, round-oblong, slightly truncate at Eieat 
- end, obscurely pointed, somewhat one-sided; dull purplish-red, shading 
‘ _ to yellow on shaded side; suture distinct; flesh rich yellow, firm, 
sweet, moderately rich; skin rather thick, slightly harsh; stone thin, 
distinctly margined; cling. Flowers very large; leaves large, the 
older ones glandular, obtusely serrate. Season at Madison Aug. 15 

to 25. . 
“Best large early variety that has been sufficiently tested. Tree a 
strong upright grower; bears heavily; one of the earliest to bloom. 


ws: 


Fic 13.—Cheney plum, natural size. 


Ey a aoe e Bulletin No. 63. ~ 


Ae Fruit will not keep long, put very valuable for near fale: 
usually brings twice as much as late varieties. * * * Has no su- 
perior for cooking and canning.” Harris, Minn. | 

This variety appears to be more susceptible to the plum pocket fun- 
gus than any other. Of 27 correspondents who ._report upon it, 17 
speak of its weakness in this direction. “The fruit of this variety is 
injured more by ‘plum pockets’ (Taphrina pruni) than all other varie- 
ties collectively in my orchard.” Kerr, Md. 

Four correspondents think it especially susceptible to damage from 
ecurculio. 

“Found in Mormon Ravine a few miles below La Crosse, Wisconsin, 
and introduced by E. Marcle, La Crosse.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Jor. Univ. 
Exp. Sta. * (27 reports.) 


Chippeway—P. americana. 

“Fruit small to medium, oblong, deep-red, the skin medium thick; 
flesh firm and sweet; stone free, small, strongly convex on the sides 
and pointed, roughish; leaves medium, rather strongly pubescent be- 
neath, leaf-stalks glandular.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Gor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Dwarf, spreading tree; productive of reddish-yellow fruit, too small 
for market. Not valuable.” Berryhill, Ia. 

Not generally regarded as valuable on account of its small size. 

(6 reports.) 
Choptank—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 

“Large, oblong, bright red, firm, good.” Luedloff, Minn. 

Originated with J. W. Kerr, of Denton, Md., from seed of the Wild 
Goose. “Tree notably vigorous, with healthy, large foliage; very pro- 
ductive.” Kerr, Md. (1 report.) 


City—P. americana. 

“Large, red on yellow ground; productive.” Luedloff, Minn. 

“Fruic generally large; perfect freestone; skin thick and bitter; 
ripens with De Soto; lacks attractive color. Hardy, good bearer.” 
Norby, 8S. Dak. 

“Has done better with me than any other; not best quality, but 
bears big crops every year; good size, uniform; sells well in local mar- 
ket; has withstood frost better than any other.” Knudson, Minn. 

“Medium size; superior quality; more valuable for home use than 
market.” Harris, Minn. 

Well reported by all. Introduced by H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn. 

(9 reports. ) 
Clinton—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 

“Above medium, round, dark red; cling; late.’’ Luedloff, Minn. 

“Thought by some to be the same as Miner, but the leaves at least 
appear to be different.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

(1 report.) 
Colorado Queen—P. americana. 

“Above medium, sometimes reaching large size; red and when fully 
ripe, purplish-red; cling. * * * Tree a good grower, moderately 
productive.” Kerr, Md. ‘Season medium. (2 reports.) 


Col. Wilder—P. hortulana. 

“Large, round-oblong, red, thin skin; flesh firm and of best quality; 
cling. Medium to late. H. A. Terry, Ia., 1888. Originated under 
cultivation.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Productive; good for market and home use.” Luedloff, Minn. 

“A seedling of Wild Goose; a beautiful spreading tree; fruit good 
size, shaped like Wild Goose; superior to it in quality.” Berryville, Ia. 

(3 reports.) 
Comfort—P. americana. 

Large, roundish, inclining to truncate at both sndas suture rather 

distinct; skin dull purplish-red throughout, densely sprinkled with 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. pap 


yellowish dots; flesh rich yellow, strongly adhering to the oval, very 
thick, obscurely-margined stone; cling. Season early September. De- 
seribed from 3 samples from O. M. Lord. 

“Good here. Tree rather straggiung growth; blooms very early, 
but one of our latest to ripen; last marketed Sept. 25.” Garret, Ia. 

“Too late for our use.” Norby, 8. Dak. 

“Fairly good; regular bearer; medium to large; ripe Aug. 20 to 
Sept. 1. Good shipper.” Wragg, Ia. 

“Tree rather a slow grower, with fine, dark-green foliage, quite 


fruitful, fruit large, quite handsome, not of best quality.” Berry- 


hill, Ia. 
Introduced by J. Wragg and Son, Waukee, Ia., in 1879. (8 reports.) 


~: 


Fia. 14.—Comfort plum, natural size. 


Comptine—P. americana. - 

A small golden-yellow plum, of medium season; originated at Knox- 
ville, Ia. Not much grown, and not favorably reported away from its 
native locality. (2 reports.) 


Blas Bulletin No. 68, 


Cook’s Choice—P. americana. 


“Medium, round, red, thin skin, flesh of best culinary quality; cling. 
_ Medium to late. H. A. Terry, Ia., 1885. Originated under cultivation.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. (1 report.) 


ao 


Fie. 15.—Cottrell plum, natural size. 


Cottrell—P: americana. (Fig. 15.) 


Large, round-oblong, mottled red and yellow, the red predominating; 
skin thin, parting readily from flesh, which is pale yellow, sweet and 
rich, adheres moderately to the sharp-edged, strongly margined stone. 
Ripe last of August. Described from samples trom O. M. Lord. 

“Leaves large, comparatively thin and smooth, leaf-stalks glandular. 
Medium season. Seedling raised by R. L. Cottrell, Dover, Olmsted Co., 
Minn., and introduced in 1888 by O. M. Lord, ‘of Minnesota City.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp: Sta. 

“Large, fine appearance, good quality. Not much disseminated, but 
will become popular for home and market.” Harris, Minn. 

(3 reports.) 


ad 7 - 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 35 


Crescent City—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 
“Above medium, round-oblong, red; cling. Late.” Luedloff, Minn. 
“Large, resembles Miner in color and form; good quality; fine tree.” 
Terry, Ta. 
Originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ta. 
(2 reports.) 
Dahlgreen—P. americana. 
“Medium, mottled-red, oblong; freestone; medium season.’ Lued- 
loff, Minn. 
Introduced by Chas. Luedloff, Cologne, Minn. (1 report.) 


Davis—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 

“Large, fine quality.’ Terry, Ta. 

Originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia. 

(1 report.) 
Decker’s Seedling—P. hortulana. * (Miner group.) 

Fruit medium to large, inclined to conical, slightly truncate at base, 
obscurely pointed at apex; suture distinct; red, thickly sprinkled with 
yellowish dots; flesh rich yellow, with a rich and delicious. flavor; 
skin thin, free from harshness, separates rather readily from flesh, 
which is nearly free from the thick, rough, obscurely-margined stone. 
Season last of September. Described from samples from the intro- 


ducer. 


“Resembles Miner in appearance; good quality; will carry well and 
sell well.” Harris, Minn. 

Reeently introduced by W. S. Widmoyer, of Dresbach, Minn. 
Thought by some to be identical with Miner. (3 reports.) 


Deep Creek—P. americana. 

“Medium size, purplish-red; medium season; freestone; good.” 
Luedloff, Minn. 

“Very productive Terry, lowa. 

Reported a failure by H. Knudson of Minn. (3 reports.) 


99 
. 


De Soto—P. americana. (Fig. 16.) 

“Large to very large, round-oblong, purple-red with moderate bloom, 
skin thick; flesh medium firm, g good; stone cling, rather large, some- 
what convex, rounded at the ends. slightly roughened; leaves medium, 
stalks glandular. Medium to late. Found w ild on the Mississippi at 
De Soto, Wisconsin. Generally introduced by Elisha Hale, Lansing, 
Ta., 1863 or 1864.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

‘More grown in this latitude than any other. The tree does not. re- 
sist drought and its tendency to overbear impairs -its value. Tree 
short lived. Fruit quite salable, but less so than the red varieties.” 
Berryhill, Ta. 

“Should recommend for all loose soils, but on drift soils of Towa it 
overbears.” Wragg, Ia. . 

This is probably more extensively grown than any other Americana 
variety. It is generally reported as productive, and several corre- 
spondents report it as inclining to overbear. Some have found the 
tree short lived, and a few pronounce it unprofitable. (36 reports.) 


Diana—P. americana. . 
Poel Rath mottled red, very productive, fine quality; fine tree.” 
Perry, 
eatin tea under cultivation with H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia. 
(1 report.) 
Dr. Dennis—P. americana. 
“Large, purplish-red when fully ripe; cling. * * * Tree lacks 


vigor.” Kerr, Md. 
“Tree hardy; tine foliage; fruit about the size and season of Wolf,” 


_Norby, S. Dak, 


eat Two report upon it unfavorably. Originated under cultivation with : 
H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia. ia 


Dunlap’s No. 1—P. americana. ; Lee 
“Large, yellow mottled with red, medium season. Good.” lLued- 
loff, Minn. . (1 report.) 


Dunlap’s No. 2—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
Wa “Medium, red, round, cling. Productive.” Luedloff, Minne 


aoe (1 report.) os Seg 


Early Minnesota— 
a2 “Medium, round, sweet, yellow; ripe Aug. 1.” Wood, Minn. 
a (1 report.) 


oct 38 Fic. 16.—De Soto plum, natural size. 


* Early Red—P. angustifolia. 

“Medium size, round, red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 

“Leaves medium, oblong-lanceolate. Early or very early. Origin 

e southern Texas, under cultivation by G. Onderdonk; introduced by. 
him in 1872.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 
“Of no value here.” Stark, Mo. . (2 reports.) o3, 


~t 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwes ae 38 


Eldora—P. americana. 


“Medium to large, fine bearer, fine quality.” Terry, Ia. 
“Tree a rapid grower, with plenty of clean, healthy foliage.” Kerr, 
Md. (1 report.) 


Emerson—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 
“Above medium, round, red, cling; productive.” Luedloff, Minn. 
This may be identical with the Emerson’s Early described by Bailey. 
(1 report.) 


_Esther—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 


“Rather large, round-oblong, dark red, skin thick; cling. Medium - 
to late. _H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1885. Originated under cultivation.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Very large, resembles Miner in shape and color; fine grower.” 
Terry, Ia. ; (2 reports.) 


Forest Garden—P. americana. 

Fruit large, nearly round, dull purplish-red, densely sprinkled with 
minute yellowish specks, with thin bloom; suture obscure; flesh yel- 
low, sometimes reddish next the stone, moderately firm, sweet and 
pleasant; adhering to the obtusely-pointed, margined stone; skin 
slightly harsh; leaves rather small, smooth, nearly or quite without 
glands; medium season. Described from samples grown at Wisconsin 
Experiment Station. One of the most extensively grown varieties and 
generally favorably reported except that it suffers considerably from 
plum pockets, and the tree is very liable to split down. Found wild 
at Cedar Rapids, Ia.; introduced about 1862 by H. C. Raymond of 
Council Bluffs. (30 reports.) 


Forest Rose—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 

“Large to very- large, round, dull red, skin medium thick; stone 
cling, broad and comparatively flat, sharp on the front edge, scarcely 
pointed, smooth, Americana-like; flowers medium to large; leaves ellip- 
tic to elliptic-obovate, prominently pointed, the stalks ordinarily bear- 
ing two small glands. Medium to late, of good quality. A Missouri 
wild variety, introduced by William Stark in 1878.” Bailey, Bull. 38, 
Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

Reported only ies ly productive, and some find it too late. 

(8 reports.) 


Freeman (Freeman’s Favorite)—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
“Large, round-oblong, red; cling. Tree a vigorous grower and pro- 


- ductive.” Kerr, Md. 


“Large, bright, shining red, good.” Terry, Ia. 
Season medium early, originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry, 
of Crescent, Ia. (1 report.) 


Fuller’s Egg. 
“Fine large plum but not productive.” Matthews, Ia. (1 report.) 


Galena—P. americana. 

“Large, yellow with little red, oval; cling; productive.” Luedloff, 
Minn. 

Introduced by Chas. Luedloff, Cologne, Minn. (1 report.) 


Gale Seedling—P. americana. 

Fruit medium to small, roundish, rather strongly flattened, a lit- 
tle truncate at ends, dull red: suture distinct; flesh yellow, sweet and 
pleasant but very soft; skin thin; stone nearly free, thick with rounded 
ends, margin very obscure; leaves small, glandular, obtusely serrate. 
Season very early. ‘Tree very productive and much given to over- 
bearing. Sent to our Station in 1891 by I. Gale & Son of Waukesha, 


33. 


- Bulletin No. : 


Wis. Its earliness may give it some value for home use, but the fruit 
is too soft for market. 


Garfield—P. hortulana. (Wayland group.) . 


Fully described by Bailey in Bulletin 38, Cornell University Experi- 


ment Station, but reported by only one grower in the northwest, and 
by him pronounced very unproductive. (1 report.) 


Gates—P. americana. 


Fruit medium, flattened, suture distinet, very dull red with numer- 
ous yellowish specks about apex; skin thick; flesh yellow, of fair 
quality; stone distinctly margined, season late. Described from sam- 
ples from E. H. S. Dartt, Owatonna, Minn. 

Originated at Owatonna, Minn.. 


(1 report.) 


Fie. 17.—Gaylord plum, natural size. 


Gaylord—P. americana. (Fig. 17.) 


Large, round-oblong, slightly flattened, deep purplish-red mostly 
covering an orange ground; skin thin, separates readily. from flesh 
when ripe, free from harshness; flesh yellow, tender, moderately sweet 
and rich; stone nearly free, oblong, pointed ¢* soth ends, thickest 
near stem end, sharp on one edge, grooved on the other, surface 


slightly rough. Season medium or rather late. Described from sam- 
ples from O. M. Lord, Minn. 


“Leaves rather broad, somewhat pubescent below, elandular.” 
Introduced by Edson Gaylord, Nora Springs, Ia. 
was found wild about 40 years ago. 
7 years. 


Bailey. 
The original tree 
One tree is said to have bori# 


~4 


ee 


4 ye > a> as > at * + = - Se - 
“Fy 2 <s 4 :) hi E oa + wm ‘ . wine ” oe 

" + - Pat ~ > 
= x 


- - Quilture of Native Plums in the Northwest. - 39 


“Not much grown; inclines to overbear and sometimes rots badly; 
trees straggling growers and should be top worked and kept shortened 
in.” - Harris, Minn. 

“Tree dark green, heavy leaf, perfectly hardy, * * * continues 
ripening a long time, twigs mouse-colored, spreading.” Gaylord, Ia. 

Several report this variety as being only fairly productive, but the 
quality and appearance are generally commended. (8 reports.) 


Gold—P. americana. 

Mr. Kerr deseribes a plum under this name, but it does not appear 
to be grown in the northwest. ‘The Stark Brothers of Missouri have 
also introduced a “Gold” plum of the Japan class. 


Gold-Colored—P. americana. 

“Bright yellow, medium size, fine quality; a small free-stone pit; 
a great bearer. This tree was grown very near Gaylord.” Gaylord, 
Ta. (1 report.) 


Golden Beauty—P. hortulana. (Wayland group.) | 

“Fruit medium, round-ovate, deep clear yellow, skin medium thick; 
flesh very firm and of excellent quality; semi-cling, the stone small 
and broad (only one-fourth larger than broad), the point’ very short; 
flowers large, prominently stalked, the calyx lobes glandular; leaves 
narrowly ovate-lanceolate and very peach-like, rather tapering at the — 
base, thick and dull and somewhat pubescent below, coarsely serrate, 
the stalk with very small glands. Late; blooms very late.. One of the 
best. A wild south Texas variety, introduced by George Onderdonk in 
1874.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Small to medium, yellow, ripe early in September; very productive. 
Tree splits down badly. Quality poor.” Graham, Ta. 

Not. generally commended by northwestern growers; its size, qual- 
ity and productiveness are found deficient. (8 reports.) 


Haag—P. americana. 

“Originated by Jacob Haag, Sioux Co., Ia. Tree of medium vigor 
but an early and profuse bearer; fruit medium size, red and very 
early in season and extremely high in quality. Ripens on my grounds 
next to Pottawattamie.” Hinkley, Ia. (1 report.) 
Hammer—P. americana. 

“Medium to large size, globular; mottled red on yellow, coppery-red 
all over when fully ripe; cling.” -—Kerr, Md. 

“IT think it a hybrid between Miner and Americana. * * Erect 
grower, but splits down; should be cut back in early summer to pre- 
vent over-weighting of branches. Very superior in quality,-very beau- 
tiful; tends to overbear.” Berryhill, Ia. ; 

“Very productive, good quality; the only fault I find is that when 
the fruit is nearly ripe, a rain will cause it to crack.” Steinman, Ia. 

“T consider it a hybrid between P. hortulana and americana. The 
leaf resembles americana, but the fruit and flower are hortulana. Best 
in quality in my collection; fairly productive, hardy.” |Heideman, 
Minn. 

Originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry of Iowa, in 1888, said 
to be from seed of the Miner and by others of Wild Goose. Generally 
commended by those who have grown it. (12 reports.) 


Harrison’s Peach—P. americana. (Nigra group.) (Fig. 18.) 

Large, round-oblong, yellow, more or less mottled and shaded with 
red; suture rather distinct; skin thick, but not harsh, separates rather 
readily when ripe; flesh yellow, very tender and juicy, moderately rich, 


~free from the stone which is double-pointed, margined, with a groove 


40 _ Bulletin No. 68. 
on the opposite edge. Season medium. Described from samples from 
O. M. Lord, Minn. 

“Similar to Wolf in habit and appearance; fruit some smaller, not 
quite so red; fair quality; very productive.” Berryhill, Ia. 


The common testimony is that this variety is unproductive, and 
hence unprofitable. Ss reports.) 


Fic. 18.— Harrison’s Peach plum, natural size. sha 


Hart’s De Soto—P. americand. 
“A seedling of De Soto, larger and better, and better in leaf and ; 
hardiness.” Budd, Ia. (1 report.) Bre 


Hartwick—P. americana. ae 
Reported as quite unsuccessful by Mr. Kerr, of Maryland, and Mr. - aa 


Heideman of Minnesota. _ (1 report.) Rens 
Wr sngs6 = FO k hy e  e Se et ate oe te ie ee eer ee eee es ek 
Hawkeye—P. americana. (Fig. $6.) ee SE. 

“Large to very large, round-oblong, purple- -red, skin thick; flesh fe 
firm and good; stone cling; leaves medium, sirm, very smooth for the rt-3 


species, stalks glandular. Medium season. Originated in Iowa under ~ 


ge + 
Si gk oe et pa A Oe rrhek eA Km. ie JO Pei 7 : 
ed =. on oy = pss ; i oe om iY She, ea « aie j 


| Calin of Native Plums in the Northwest. | —41 


cultivation. Introduced by H. A. Terry, Crescent City, Ia., 1878.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Productive, regular bearer, large; ripe Sept. 1 to 15; good quality, 
fair shipper. One of the best. vas Wrage, Ja. 

“Considered all over Iowa a fine, medium-size plum, very productive, 
rather early.” Ivins, Ia. 

“Does well, bears good crops of large, showy plums; quality below 
average; must be kept headed in close, makes poor fork, splits down 
badly.” Garrett, Ia. 

“As large as or larger, and a little earlier than De Soto, a little 
more tart near pit and skin, but very good, constant bearer.” Toole, 
Wis. 

Generally regarded by growers as one of the best. (28 reports.) 


Fria. 19.--Hawkeye plum, natural size, 


Hiawatha—P. americana. 

“Very large, roundish-oblong, purplish-red; cling. * * * Tree 
vigorous, with large, healthy foliage, which is ‘made gute distinct by 
deep serratures. Fairly productive.” Kerr, Md. 


Ae | - Bulletin No. 63.* * 
This variety is rarely productive in the northwest. It was sent 
out to a few plum growers by Mr. Heideman, of New Ulm, Minn., as: 4 
a sample of a male-flowered plum, and it was not _ expected to be 4 
valuable. (2 reports.) Bec 
Hilltop P. americana. <4 
“Large, round-oblong, purplish-red; cling. * * * ree Vigorous, 
but somewhat sprawling in habit. Productive.” Kerr, Md. . * 
“Of fair quality and size; not a regular bearer.” Howell, la. 
Season medium to late. (2 reports.) 
Hogeg’s No. 2—(Marianna group.) 
“Very early, ripe latter part of July. Small; grown by Chas. Lued- 
loff, Cologne, Minn.” Knudson, Minn. a8 
Thought by Mr. Kerr, of Maryland, to be identical with Marianna. a Be» : 
(1 report.) 
Homestead—P. americana. . 
“Fine quality, medium size, ood.” Lord, Minn. 
“Hardy and productive, but fruit too small. Ripe with Forest Gar- 
dén.”. -Norby, .8. Dak. > 
“Too small; some seasons, attractive and very good quality.” Knud- 
son, Minn. (4 reports.) 
Hollister—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) ; Age 
“Above medium size, oblong, red; cling. * * * Productive. Tree > ==> 
and fruit bear resemblance € Chicasaw sv? > Kerr, Md. “ : Be 
“Large, light red; good quality; productive.” Terry, la. 
Favorably reported by Dr. Dennis, Ia. Season early to medium. ~ 
(2 reports.) of Ske 
Honey—P. americana. BS 
“Medium to large, round-oblong, purplish-red; cling. * * * Not . 
productive here.” Kerr, Md, wD 
“The most persistent bearer I have tried; tender-skinned; sweet; ~ , 
dull mottled red; fine for home use, not a shipper. Wipes Eo lord, la. 3 
“Medium; round; very best; productive.” Wood, Minn. 2 as 
Season early. The quality is praised by all. {tt ScporEe eres = 
Honey Drop. f 
“Very similar in every way to Golden Beauty.’ Terry, Ia. <a 
The Missouri apricot plum has also been called Honey Drop. =i: goles 
(1 report.) , ee 
Hoskins. : eg 
“Productive, regular bearer. Medium; ripe Sept. 1 to 10; good 
quality; good. shipper; golden color, free-stone; with thin, tough 
skin.” Wrage, la. 
Introduced by J. Wragg & Son, Waukee, Ia., in 1891. (1 report.) 
Hunt. ee 
“From seed of Wild Goose, supposed to have been pollenized by ~ a 
Lombard; larger than Wild Goose; skin thin, tree from astringency | 
and separates. from pulp in cooking; flesh yellow, firm, pure flavor, 
very fine for culinary use; ripens just after Wild Goose. Tree hardy; <<gage 
productive, does not split down. Originated with Henry Hunt of as 
Dallas, Co., Ia., about 1885.” Graham, Ia. . oe 
Introduced in 1897 by M. J. Graham, Adel, Ta. aah 
“Quite handsome and good fruit, first rate for preserving.” Mat- — 
thews, Ta. Aap 
“Appears from foliage to be a hybrid between Americana and Do- 
mestica.” G. B. Brackett, Ta. (4 reports.) = one 
Ida—P. americana. rey: 2 
“Medium size, purplish-red, with small red SROts, pointed; Saou ess 
Luedloff, Minn. (1 Reece 5 


my ae 5 er” Sa ; ™ “ a yy “- 
tt ¢ ~ os . 
eis KS 


a : : * p 3 The ‘i < <t 


<\ 


~ Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. ~ 48 


Illinois Ironclad—P. americana. 

“Fruit very large, oblong, dark red, thick skin, flesh firm; cling; 
leaves-medium, pubescent, glands small or absent. Medium season. 
Said to be one of the best native plums. Wild variety from Illinois, 
introduced in 1890 by Stark Bros., Louisiana, Mo.” Bailey, Bull. 38, 
Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Similar to Forest Garden in fruit, very much thicker skin; tree 
symmetrical, fairly fruitful, not one of the best.’ Berryhill, Ia. 

“Good and regular bearer; large; quite rich; bright red; good 
seller.” Howells, Ia. (5 reports.) 


Indiana Red—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 
“Above medium size, round, dull-red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
“Too late here; discarded.” Luedloff, Minn. (1 report.) 


Indian Chief—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
“Large, round, dull-red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
“Not hardy here.’ Luedloff, Minn. 

“Of no value here.” Stark, Mo. (2 reports.) 


we 


Iowa—P. americana. 


Irene—P. americana. 

These two varieties are described by Bailey and Kerr, but both 
have been discarded by Mr. Luedloff of Minn., on account of their 
lateness. (1 report of each.) 


Itasca—P. americana. (Nigra group.) 

Described by Bailey and Kerr. Pronounced of no value by the lat- 
ter, and also by Mr. Stark of Mo. 

The Aitkin plum was at one time called Itasca. (1 report.) 


James Vick. 
“Large, bright red; good quality.” Terry, Ta. (the originator). 
(1 report.) 
Jennie Lucas—P. angustifolia. 
Described by Kerr, but pronounced of no value by Mr. Stark of Mo. 
: (1 report.) 
Jewell—P. nortulana. _(Wild Goose group.) 

“Above medium size, round, yellow ground overspread with red; 
cling. * * * Tree vigorous, open or spreading, with handsome 
bright foliage, narrower than Wild Goose leaves.’ Kerr, Md. 

“Small, fine red; good quality.” Terry, Ia. 

Season medium; originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry. 


-Crescent, Ia. (1 report.) 
J. H. Rue. 

“Fine in tree, heavy bearer; fruit firm-fleshed and as large as Stod- 
dard:” Budd, Ia. (1 report.) 


i @ 
Jones—P. americana. 


_ “Medium to large, round-oblong, mottled with purplish-red on yel- 


low ground; cling. * * * Tree vigorous and healthy with plenty of 
good foliage. Productive.” Kerr, Md. 

“Very large, late, long keeper, fine market.” Terry, Ia. 

Originated under cultivation with H. Jones, Iowa. Introduced in 
1882. Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. (1 report.) 


Jones Late—P. americana. 

“Large, oblong-oval, red; firm; cling. * * Tree upright, vigorous 
and productive.” Kerr, Md. 

“Small, not valuable.” Terry, Ia. (1 report.) 


Kampeska—P. americana. 
~ Described by Kerr of Md., but discarded as too small by Mr. Lued- 
loff, of Minn. (1 report.) 


Kieth—P. americana. 
“Large to very large, round to round-oblong, red on orange, cling. 
* * * Tree healthy and productive. One of the best.” Kerr, Md. 
“Large, fine quality, fine market.” Terry, Ia. 
Well reported by Dr. Dennis and Mr. Matthews of Iowa. (3 reports.) 


Klondike. 

“HKarliest of all, ripe and gone by August 1. Golden yellow, free- 
stone. Originated in Iowa by cross-pollination. Introduced 1897, by 
W. F. Heikes, Huntsville, Ala.” Wragg, Ia. (1 report.) 


Knudson’s Peach—P. americana. 

“Tree ‘good, fruit very sweet with thick skin; drops before well 
colored; too small for market; season same as Forest Garden. ” Norby, 
S. Dak. 

Others report it medium to large, of good quality and productive, 
except Mr. Cook of Minnesota who calls it unproductive and of no 
value, and Mr. Lord who pronounces it “ordinary.” (7 reports.) 


Kopp—P. americana. 7 
“Large, round, :purplish, cling. * * ‘Tree vigorous and quite 

spreading in habit. Does not sieeeed well here.” Kerr, Md. 
Season medium to late. (1 report.) 


La Prairie—P. americana. 

“Very slightly astringent, of a golden color, of good size. A wild 
plum that my father planted in 1844. * * It has fruited every year 
since, sometimes in immense quantities.” B. H. Smith, Shopiere, Wis. 


Large Red Sweet—P. americana. . 
“Large, round, dark red; cling; early, very sweet.” Luedloff, Minn. 
Introduced by Chas. Luedloft, Cologne, Minn. (1 report.) 


Late Rollinpatonerer. americand. 

“Very like Rollingstone, of which it is a seedling, but three weeks 
later; pulp not so “firm and skin thicker. O. M. Lord, Minnesota.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“One of the best for market and eating out of hand.” Lord, Minn. 

“Tree is a robust grower, with foliage that gives it a distinet ap- 
pearance.” Kerr, Md. (2 reports.) 


Le Duc—P. americana. (Fig. 20.) 

Fruit medium, roundish or slightly oblong, slightly flattened, suture 
rather distinct; bright red, some specimens: inclining to orange in 
spots, with thin bloom; flesh rich yellow, sweet and pleasant; semi- . 
cling; skin rather thick, a little harsh; stone rather large, rounded 
at ends; season medium. Tree vigorous, symmetrical, very productive. 

“Pair quality, small size; not superior to many unnamed kinds.” 
Lord, Minn. 

“A wild variety from Hastings, Minn., introduced by W. G. LeDue.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

This has been especially recommended for cooking. (2 reports.) 


Le Duc Vermillion—P. americana. 
“Medium size, round to round-oblong, bright red; cling.’ - Kerr, Md. 
‘ Bees best quality; moderately productive.’ Frankland, Mani- 
oba 
Season rather late. pias (3 reports.) 


nk ee road 


$ ag = S me 
$F Bee po 
i Pe de 


ane es ST Culture oe Native Plums in the Northaoest, 45 
2 Leonard—P. americana. 
‘ “Medium size, round, purplish-red; cling. * * * Not productive 
mo here. Kerr, Md. > 
Season medium. (1 report.) 
: Lillie—P. americana. “ 
“Very large and productive, light red.” Terry, Ia. 
: Originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia. ~ 
(1 report.) 


Fic. 20.—Le Duc plum, natural size. 


Little Seedling—P. americana. 
Introduced by Chas. Luedloff and described by Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. 


Univ. Exp. Sta. 
“Too small, discarded,” Luedloff, Minn. (1 report.) 
Lone Star—P. angustifolia. 
Described by Bailey and Kerr; reported ° ‘not hardy” by Mr. Lued- 
(1 report.) 


loff, of Minn. 


46 : Bulletin No. 63. 


Louisa—P. americana. 

“Large to very large, round, deep red, skin thick; flesh firm and 
good; semi-cling, the stone broad and convex and smoother than is 
usual for this shape; leaves medium, long-pointed, pubescent below, 
glands small or none. Medium season. A wild plum found in Mis- 
souri and introduced by Samuel Miller, Bluffton, Mo.” Bailey, Bull. 


38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. . 
This is pronounced-a productive market variety by Mr. Luedloff, of © 
Minn. (1 report,) 


Luedloff’s Green—P. americana. 

“Medium to small, oblong and flattened, deep mottled red. Skin 
thick, flesh firm, sweet and good; nearly free, the stone small, convex, 
pointed, rough; leaves rather small and smooth, glands very small or | 
none.” . Bailey, Bull. (38, Gor. Univ.;Exp. Sta. = 

“Regular and abundant bearer, smallish, fair quality when fully 
ripe.” Richardson, Minn. 

Season medium late. Introduced by Chas. Luedloff of Cologne, 
Minn., but has since been discarded by him. (4 reports.) 


Luedloff’s Red—P. americana. na 
“Much like the last (Luedloff’s Green) but lighter red, skin thicker, 
pit freer, stone rather broader, and leaves pubescent beneath.” Bai- 
ley, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 
“Has given satisfaction. * * Not very large, produces fair erops ~~ © 
every year; very good quality; finest for jelly and very good for can-~ 7 
ning; sells well.”” Knudson, Minn. ; 
Unfavorably reported by Lord of Minn. Medium season. 
Introduced by Chas. Luedlott of Cologne, Minn., but has since been 
discarded by him. (5 reports.) 


Luedloff’s Seedling. 

“Large, red on yellow ground, oblong; freestone; for market.” 
Luedloff, Minn. (1 report.) 
Manitoba—P. americana. ae if 

“Medium, very early, bright red, best quality.” Wood, Minn. 

“Has given satisfaction; noted for its very beautiful, high color and 
good quality for home use, a freestone; ripens extra early in some 
seasons.” Knudson, Minn. (4 reports.) 


Mankato—P. americana. (Fig. 21.) 

Fruit very slightly oblong, inclining to truncate at stem end, suture 
rather distinct; dull red, densely dotted with very minute yellowish 
specks; flesh yellow, sometimes red next the stone, sweet and rich; 
skin rather thick with very slight harshness, easily separable from 
the flesh; stone thick with convex sides, rounded at ends, obscurely 
margined; semi-cling; season late; leaves medium, broad, smooth, 
sharp serrate, glandless. Tree thrifty, symmetrical, fairly productive, 
bears. young. 

“Seems as near curculio proof as any plum I ever saw.” Richard- 
son, Minn. ; 

Said to have originated from seed of the German prune about 30 
years ago, in Buffalo, N. Y., but the source of the seed is probably 
an error. Introduced by 8S. D. Richardson & Son of Winnebago City, 
Minn. (3 reports.) 


Maquoketa—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 

Medium to large, round-oblong, red, finely mottled; skin thick, 
slightly harsh; cling; stone very convex, short-pointed; flesh rich ~~ 
yellow or orange, firm, sweet, good; leaves narrow, “troughed”, 


Reem her ies | 
Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. ~ 47 
‘ aa | | : : ’ \ } ¢ 
aie smooth, not glossy, glandular; season very late; tree vigorous, sym- 
metrical, not productive. 
oan This is reported “not hardy” by two Minnesota growers, and is fa- 
_ vorably reported by but one grower of lowa. ~ (9 reports.) 
= 


Marcus—P. americana. 

“Originated by M. E. Hinkley. Seed gathered on Little Sioux river, 
1874. Tree strong, vigorous, upright grower, an early and profuse 
bearer, very regular. Fruit very large, round, dark red, of Miner 
style but larger and two weeks earlier. Meaty; quality high when 
Peeetiiy ripe. * Hinkley, la:- (1 report.) 


a. ~ 


Fic. 21.—Mankato plum, natural size, 


Mn EY ae ate) Pe aie we = pete ar ee se Bh ha 
" ‘ r ‘ ic ra RT Pee pee rae Lt + eepe is a , “ ep Ee 
= = 2 f fee Bape gy Oo Se Ree sO ee ee " 
ee ee ie ie : 


= 


4 


Ag: re Bulletin No. 68. . > 


Milton—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) . 
“Rather large, roung-oblong, dark red, skin thin; flesh firm, cling.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 
“A seedling of Wild Goose, originated by H. A. Terry of Iowa; ten 


ays earlier than Wild Goose; fruit handsome, oblong, not of superior - 


quality, but its earliness renders it very valuable; ripens here July 4; 
tree erect and symmetrical.” Berryhill, Ia. 
Mr. Kerr of Maryland regards this the most valuable market variety 
of the group, but Mr. Matthews and Mr. Wragg of Iowa find it un- 
profitable and Prof. Budd pronounces it tender. Originated under 
cultivation with H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia. (10 reports.) 


Miner—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 

“Large, round or roundish-oblong, dull-red, skin thick; stone cling, 
short and broad, smooth or very nearly so, very short pointed, rather 
sharp on front edge, Americana-like. Flowers medium to large; 
leaves large and heavy, usually inclined to be obovate, rather long- 


pointed, the stalks glandular. Medium to late.” Originated in 1814 


in Knox Co., Tenn. Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“air fruiter with me, not of superior quality, but owing to late- 
ness and good carrying is valuable if planted with Americana yari- 
eties.”’= Berryhill, ita, . 

Seven groweis pronounce it unproductive, while seven others pro- 
nounce it very productive. It is generally admitted that it bears well 
only when planted with other varieties. - (20 reports.) 


Minnetonka—P. americana. 


Deseribed by Mr. Kerr but reported only by Mr. Stark of Missouri 


and by him pronounced “of no value.” (1 report.) 


Missouri Apricot (Honey Drop)—P. hortulanad. (Wayland Group.) 
“Medium size, round to round-ovate, yellow; cling, * * very pro- 
ductive.” Kerr, Md. 
“A small yellow plum, rich in quality; .oo late.’ Howell, Ta. 
“Bears well.” Matthews, Ia. . 
“Too late here; discarded.” Luedloff, Minn. "(4 reports.) 


Monona. 
A plum grown by Mr. Christian Steinman, of Mapleton, Ia., reported 


to be the size of Miner, ripening two weeks earlier, and to have been~ 


very profitable; blooms about three days later than Miner. (1 report.) 


Moon—P. americana. : 

“Above medium to large; round oblong, purplish; cling. * * * 
Tree twig blights here and is not productive.” Kerr, Md. 

“Medium; good; bears young; tree a weeper.” Wood, Minn. 

(2 reports.) 
Moreman—P. hortulana. (Wayland group.) 

“Medium in size, round, dark red, skin medium thick; cling, the 
stone small and nearly circular, the points very short; leaves medium, 
long-pointed, rather coarsely serrate, rather dull in texture, the stalks 
nearly or quite glandless. Late. * * * Originated in Kentucky. 
Introduced by W. F. Heikes in 1881.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. 
Exp. Sta. 

“Small to medium in size; dark red; looks as if varnished; produc- 
tive.” Terry, Ia. 

“Fine for plum butter.” Graham, Ia. 

Reported as productive and valuable by some and as worthless by 
others. At our Station the flowers have borne very few pistils, and 
the tree has been entirely unproducti- >, (5 reports.) 


PEL Oe ee eee 

ea oe = ‘ is ; es F ; 
Sey : Z air 23 ts Ae . << sat ‘ sms er E ae - ; z = = * yes: uf he ‘. 
“S, Culture of Native Piums in the Northwest. EQ’ 


Po 2 


Mrs. Cleveland. ; 
“Very. large, resembles Wild Goose in color and form; fine quality.” 


ae Terry, la. 
: Originated under cultivation by H. A. Terry of Crescent, Ia. 
. . (1 report.) 
Mrs. Clifford—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
Described by Mr. Kerr, but reported only by Mr. Luedloff of Minn., 


and by him pronounced “not hardy.” (1 report.) 


i 

a Fig. 22.—New Ulm plum, natural size. 

m _ Nebraska—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 

Bt “Medium size, round, dull red; cling; productive. Season late.” 
& Luedloff, Minn. (1 report.) 

d _ Nelly—P. americana. 

3 “Very large, yellow, oblong, productive; good.” Luedloff, Minn. 
- oe (1 report.) 
“4 Newman—P. angustifolia. 

4 “Rather large, nearly globular or round-oblong, pink-red with prom- 


inent light spots near the apex, yellowish opposite the sun; leaves 


A: 


50 Bulletin No. 68. 


rather large, oblong-lanceolate. Medium to late. Ripens in N. Y. in 


October. Introduced from Kentucky by W. F. Heikes.” Bailey, Bull. 
38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 
“Tree hardy, regular bearer and very productive; last of August.” 
Reported “too late” by Mr. Luedloff of Minn. and of “no value” by 
Mr. Wragg of Iowa. ; (5 reports.) 


Newton Egg—P. americana. 
“Large, oblong-oval, dark red on yellow; free. * * * Wery pro- 
ductive.” Kerr, Md. 
“Very large; third quality; very productive.” Frankland, Man. 
“Off in color and general appearance.” Matthews, Iowa. 
“Good looking, not valuable.” Cook, Minn. (5 reports.) 


New Ulm—P. americana. (Fig. 22.) 

Very large, ground pale yellow, more or less—sometimes almost 
wholly—obscured with purplish-red; suture distinct; flesh rich yel- 
low, moderately rich; skin rather thick and adherent, free from 
harshness; stone sharp-pointed, strongly margined, sharp on mar- 
gined edge. Season rather late. Described from samples from O. M. 
Lord. 

“Tree perfectly hardy, a crooked irregular grower, wonderfully pro- 
ductive; fruit fully as large as Cheney, light red with whitish bloom, 
attractive, brings highest price, free from plum pockets but more 
subject to rot than any other here; cracks easily; ripens with Cheney.” 
Norby, 8. Dak. 

“Largest in my collection, regular bearer, very productive; does 
not make good nursery tree; very good quality, firm, season Sept. 10; 
perfectly hardy.” Heideman, Minn. 

This is perhaps the largest of the native plums. Its chief fault ap- 
pears to be the crooked and recumbent habit of the tree. (10 reports.) 


North Carolina (North Carolina Seedling)—P. americana. 
“Large, deep red; fine tree.” Terry, Iowa. (1 report.) 


North Star—P. americana. 

“Ripens a week before De Soto; a trifle larger, a little more oblong; 
juicy, sweet. Tree hardy, dwarfish, quality good; cling.” Penning, 
Minn. (1 report.) 


Noyes (Noyes Seedling)—P. americana. 

“Medium to large size, globular, sometimes flattened or depressed 
at apex end, red on yellow ground; cling. * * ‘Tree a good grower, 
healthy and productive.” Kerr, Md. 


Very favorably reported by Dr. Dennis of Iowa. Season medium. | 


\ (1 report.) 
Ocheeda—P. americana. (Fig. 23.) 

Medium, roundish-oblong; dull, finely-mottled red with rather 
thick bloom; flesh rich yellow, sweet and rich, skin medium thick, 
without harshness; semi-cling; stone rather large, pointed at the ends, 
margined, nearly smooth. Leaves large, somewhat waved, glandular, 
slightly serrate. Tree very productive and regular in bearing. Season 
rather late. 

“Tree hardy, reliable bearer; fruit good even size, yellowish-red, 
translucent, beautiful; excellent quality, cling; good keeper, sells 
well.” Norby, S. Dak. 

“A wild variety from Minn. Introduced by H. J. Ludlow, Worthing- 
ton, Minn.” Prof. S. B. Green. 

This has proved very satisfactory at our Station, and is generally 
commended by those who have grown it. (10 reports.) 


Odegard. 


“Hardy, thrifty; spreading grower, with large thick leaves; pro- 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. o1 


ductive. Fruit of good size, oblong, dark red, quality excellent for 
any use. Ripens very early.” Norby, 8. Dak. 

Originated at Brookings, S. Dak., ten or twelve years ago from pits 
sent from Minn. Grown by Mr. Norby. 

Very well reported by Mr. Cook of Minn., but-Mr. Wedge of Minn. 
finds it quite subject to pockets. (3 reports.) 


Old Gold—P. americana. 
‘‘Above medium, round, clear yellow, with a little red about the stem, 
cling; very fine.” Luedloff, Minn. 


- Fig. 23,—Ocheeda plum, natural size, 


52 Bulletin No. 68. 


“Hardy, moderately productive; fruit about size of Forest Garden, 
moderately fair.” Norby, 8. Dak. 

Mr. Heideman of Minn. who introduced this plum now reports it 
as quite unsatisfactory. 


Osage. 
“Same as Pottawattamie.” Terry, Ia. 


Owatonna—P. americana. 

Fruit large, oblong, red throughout; suture distinct; of fair quality; 
stone rather thick. Originated at Owatonna, Minn. The tree is said 
to be moderately productive. (1 report.) 


Oxford. 


“Season early August. The earliest variety fruited here. Good 


cooker. Size of Forest Garden; round-oval, deep red; rather thick 
skin; stone large, thin; cling; flesh orange-yellow, fair consistency, 
good flavor; poor keeper. Tree closely resembles Aitken in foliage, 
color of wood, habit of growth and quality of fruit.” Harris, Minn. 


(1 report.) 
Parker. 


Reported as very productive and regular in bearing, large size, good 
quality and early, by Mr. Wedge of Minn., who considers it very 
promising. 


Peach. 

More than one plum has been introduced under this name. In or- 
der to distinguish them they will be described with the name of the 
introducer, and doubtful ones will be omitted. 


Peach Leaf. 
“Best of all for butter and there is no better for canning. One of 


my leading sorts.” Matthews, Iowa. (1 report.) 
Peffer’s Premium—P. americana. 

“Large, round, purplish-red; cling; fine for market.” Luedloff, 
Minn. 

Season medium. (1 report.) 


Penning’s Peach.—P. americana. 

“Medium size, red brown, quite sweet; cling. Ripe 8 days before 
Cheney is. Tree hardy and healthy.” Penning, Minn. 

“A most excellent plum; introduced about 20 years ago as Peach 
plum and was sold as such by most northwestern nurserymen. I 
added ‘Penning’s’ to avoid confusion.” Heideman, Minn. 
“Hardy but a shy bearer; fruit drops before colored.” Norby, S. 
Dak. 

Mr. Terry of Iowa considers this identical with Harrison’s Peach. 
(4 reports.) 
Pilot—P. americana. 

“Originated by M. E. Hinkley, 1874, from seed gathered on Little 
Sioux river, Cherokee Co., Ia. Tree bushy, spreading top, low. Fruit 
egg-shaped, very large, mottled yellow and pink; very prolific. Qual- 
ity high for dessert. Pit long and, thin, prune-shaped. ~Season 
medium. When ripening in wet season perhaps 10 per cent. will 
erack on tree. Pronounced by local judges ‘best’ of twenty named 
sorts.”” Hinckley, Ia. (1 report.) 


Piper’s Peach. 


“Very fine, large, round, light red; meaty; nearly freestone; medium 
productive.” Harris, Minn. 


“Very large, first quality, moderately productive.”. Frankland, 
Man. (2 reports.) 


ever.» G 


ge ed ee a ae Pere a eee Sen edt et an | ee ARE te tu, ep PR Re a Tat” bere, Oe 


Sk PR eae ER PN a eae 
* 4 7 ee 


tat elie eK pret ber ee : . ’ 


* — Qulture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 53 


~ 


Poole’s Pride— P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 

. “Large, round-oblong, red, skin medium thick; cling; leaves rather 
small and narrow, very finely serrate, the short stalks glandless or 
nearly so. Early to medium, of high quality. Succeeds Wild Goose. 
A wild variety from Illinois, introduced in 1888 by Stark Bros.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Best of its family or group. Dug wild from fence row by A; W. 
Poole, the great fruit grower, now of Ozark, Ark., and his father now 
of Union Co., [ll.; later taken up by Mr. Kroh.” Stark, Missouri. 

“Good seller, one of the best for cooking or canning; is not as- 
tringent cooked with the skin. Good for sauce when green and hard. 
I prefer it to all others. Ripe with Wolf.” “Good, even size ,and 
color, but cracks badly after warm rains.’ Howell, Ia. 

Mr. Stark of Missouri considers this identical with the Kroh. The 
reports of this plum are almost without exception favorable. 

(10 reports.) 


Fic. 24.—Pottawattamie plum, natural size. 


Pottawattamie—P. angustifolia. (Fig. 24.) 

Fruit short oval, bright red, speckled toward apex with whitish 
specks; with thin bloom; flesh yellow, sweet but not rich; skin rather 
thin, very slightly harsh; stone small, pointed at ends, distinctly mar- 
gined and creased on edge opposite margin. Season rather early. 


\ 
4 
, & 
‘ 
bt 
4 
tn, 
=) 


54 | Bulletin No. 68. 


Tree vigorous, symmetrical, regularly productive. Introduced by J 
B. Rice of Council Bluffs in 1875. Generally reported as productive 
and a good seller, but inferior in quality. It is said not to ship well 
and to crack badly after warm rains. (20 reports.) 


Prairie Flower—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) . 
“Large, round, dull-red; cling. * * The finest of the group here.” 
Kerr, Md. 
“Very large, resembles Forest Rose; finest of Miner type I have 
tested; not a regular bearer, ripens last of August.” Graham, Iowa. 
“Too late here.” Luedloff, Minn. (7 reports.) 


¥ 


Fic, 25,—Quaker plum, natural size. 


aoe sere Te ql ya 


: © Oulture of Native Plums in the Northwest. ays) 


Purple Vakemite <P’ americana. 

“Very large, round, red-purple, skin thick; flesh firm; cling, stone 
large and flat; blunt at the ends and ongthe margins, nearly or quite 
smooth; flowers medium, short-stalked, the calyx lobes glandless and 
hairy within; leaves medium, comparatively smooth, stalks glandless 
or glands small.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. : 

“A productive, reliable orchard variety here.” Kerr, Md. 

Reported unfavorably by Messrs. Terry of Iowa, Knudson of Min- 
nesota and Stark of Missouri. (3 reports.) 


Quaker—P. americana. (Fig. 25.) 

Large, round, dull purplish-red, more or less sprinkled with yel- 
lowish specks, with a slight bloom; flesh rich-yellow, firm, sweet and 
pleasant; skin thick, slightly harsh; stone broad, blunt-pointed, 
strongly margined; leaves small, narrow, smooth, glandular, sharply 
serrate. ‘Tree vigorous, productive but not regularly so. 

“Sometimes of the largest size but often inferior; tree gives out 
soon, would not plant more.” Steinman, Iowa. 

Several report this variety unproductive. The Quaker described 
by Prof. Bailey in Bull. 38 of Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. is evidently an- 


other variety. (9 reports.) 
Quality. 

“A great -bearer every year; tree appears hardy -and the fruit is 
equal to Rollingstone in quality.” Gaylord, Iowa. (1 report.) 


Rachel—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 
‘Medium size, dull-red, round; cling, late.” Luedloff, Minn. 
(1 report.) 
‘Rare Ripe. 
“A dark red plum a little smaller than De Soto, but inferior to Har- 
rison’s Peach. Hardy.” C. A. Keffer, Bull. 26, S. Dak. Exp. Sta. 
“Small, of no value.” Terry, Iowa. (1 report.) 


Reed—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 

“Medium, round, dark red, skin medium; cling, the stone short and 
turgid, pitted, the point abrupt and short; flowers medium, short 
stalked; leaves very broad elliptic-ovate or even round-ovate and large, 
firm, the point abrupt and conspicuous, unevenly serrate, the stalk 
bearing few small glands. Late. A very strong spreading grower. 
Much like Moreman in fruit. Said to have been introduced by the 
late Mr. Reed, Highstown, N. J.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Rather above medium, late.’ Luedloff, Minn. (2 reports.) 


Robinson—P. angustifolia. (Fig. 26.) 

‘Medium, round, blotched red; leaves medium or small, ovate ob- 
long or oblong-lanceolate. -Midseason. ” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. 
Exp. Sta. 

“Very productive, often rots on tree. Follows Wild Goose.” Gra- 
ham, Iowa. 

“One of my leading sorts.”” Matthews, Iowa. 

While several report this plum productive, it is generally regarded 
as of poor quality and some think, decidedly undesirable. Introduced 
by Albertson and Hobbs of Bridgeport, Ind., in 1884. Grown by Mr. 
Picket of Putnam Co., Ind., about 50 years ago and named after 
Dr. J. H. Robinson of the same ‘township who first brought it to 
notice. Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. (7 reports.) 


Rockford—P. americana. (Fig. 27.) 

Fruit medium to small, round-oblong, truncate at base, suture 
distinct; purple, sometimes inclining to orange, often a little specked; 
with thin bloom; flesh rich yellow, firm, sweet and rich, of best quality; 


5G ; Bulletin No. 68. 
skin thin without harshness; stone oval, round-pointed, thick, faintly 
margined, nearly free; season medium to late; leaves large glandless, 


obtusely serrate. Tree) very productive and an annual bearer, tend- 
ing much to overbear and the fruit, unless heavily thinned, is often 


Fic. 26.—Robinson plum, natural size. 


too small for market. The fruit is also quite subject to rust. A wild 

Jowa variety introduced by C. G. Patten, Charles City, Iowa, in 1889. 
(16 reports.) 

Rollingstone—P. americana. (Fig. 28.) ~ 3 

“Very large (often 14% in. each diameter), round, flattened and 


ie eae - & Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 57 


truncate at the ends, mottled and spotted pink-purple, skin very 
thick; flesh firm, sweet and excellent; semi-cling, stone nearly cir- 
cular, rather flat, sharp on back edge, nearly smooth; flowers large, 
long-stalked, the calyx lobes large and rarely somewhat glandular, 
hairy on the inside, leaves large and firm, comparatively smooth, 
stalks either glandular or glandless. Medium season. * * * Found 


id Fic. 27.—Rockford plum, natural size. 


over thirty years ago on the bank of the Rollingstone creek, Winona, 
Minn., by O. M. Lord, and by him introduced some ten years ago.” » 
Bailey (1892), Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

The fruit of this variety is not subject to rot and is excellent for 
shipping. Mr. Lord has_ shipped it from his place to St. Louis 
and to New Jersey, and had it arrive in excellent condition. It is 


eRe Bulletin No. 63.7 


seldom much injured by the eurculio. In some localities the tree over> — 
bears causing small size of fruit. Many growers complain of its small 
size and a few find it unproductive. (29 reports.) 


Rollingstone Late—See Late Rollingstone. ; 


Fig. 28—Rollingstone plum, natural size. 


- yi q Pa o? ie ae |e ™ .~ 

- ‘ 5 e at 

~~ eget : S a Ng * af & J “ " r : > ~ 
ee , \ = 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 59 


Roulette—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
“Large, round, red; cling; early; fine; not quite hardy.” Luedloff, 


Minn. (1 report.) 
Sada. 
“Large, pale-yellow, with red cheek, fine quality, very productive.” 
Terry, Iowa (The originator). (1 report.) 
Seper Peach. 
“Large, dark red; cling.’ Luedloff, Minn. (1. report.) 
Silas Wilson. 


“Large, round-oblong, light red, skin thin; of the best quality; 
eling. Medium to late.” H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1890. Originated under 
cultivation.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. (1 report.) 


Sloe—P. americana. 

“Medium size to slightly above, round-oblong, purplish red; skin 
thick, cling. * * * Tree healthy and productive.” Kerr, Md. 

“A valuable variety.” ‘Terry, Iowa. 

“Heavy bearer.” Matthews, la. 

Season medium. It appears that there is also a “sloe” plum among’ 
_ the European class, and wild Chickasaw plums were formerly called 
by this name in Illinois. (2 reports.) 


- Smiley—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
Described by Mr. Kerr of Maryland but reported by but one grower 
and by him pronounced “not quite hardy.” (1 report.) 


Smith—P. americana. 

“Grown from, seed of Quaker ie C. A. Smith of this county. Large 
to very large, round-oblong, dark red, almost maroon when fully 
ripe; cling. * * * Tree a rapid grower and good bearer.” 

Reported only by Mr. Luedlotf of Carver Co., Minn. (1 report.) 


Smith’s Red—P. americana. (Nigra group.) (Fig. 29.) 

Fruit large, roundish, very slightly truncate at stem end, purplish- 
red shading to orange on the shaded side; flesh yellow, firm and 
sweet; of good quality; skin rather thick, with very slight harsh- 
ness; semi-cling, stone broad and short, rather thin; leaves very large, 
slightly wavy, sharp serrate, glandless. Tree thrifty, moderately 
productive. Sent to our Station for trial in 1890 by I. F. Gale & Son, 
then of Waukesha, Wis. I have not been able to learn more of its 
history. Mr. Kerr of Md. to whom I have sent cions, speaks well of it. 


Snooks. 
“From Minn.; tree first class, fine bearer; fruit large.’’ Budd, Iowa. 
(1 report.) 
Speer—P. americana. 

“Medium, oblong, mottled orange and red, skin medium; flesh firm 
and sweet; semi-cling, stone broad, convex, ends blunt, slightly 
roughened; leaves medium, nearly smooth, stalks glandular. Iowa 
seedling by J. A. Speer.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

Reported as productive by-.several growers and as unproductive by 
a few. It succeeds well in Manitoba. Its quality is generally com- 
mended. (8 reports.) 


Steinman. 
“Very good bearer of fair sized fruit; season of Forest Garden; will 
sell well.” Steinman, Ia, (1 report.) 


60° - 7  ailenin Wo. 68, 


Stickney. 
“A Baraboo variety grown by Franklin Johnson (of Baraboo, Wis. ), 
season and size of Rollingstone; tender fleshed. ” Toole, Wis. 


Je) report.) 
Stoddard—P. americana. 

“Very large; round; yellow ground overspread with red; cling. One 
of the finest of the group with me.” Kerr, Md. 

“Tree a rapid grower with fine foliage; similar in growth to Com- 
fort and fruit scarcely distinguishable from Comfort. Quality not 
superior.” Berryhill, lowa. 

“Largest on my grounds; comes into bearing very early; extremely ' 
productive; very fine quality.” Ivins, Iowa. 


i 
: 
: 


Fic. 29.—Smith’s Red plum, natural size. = ie 


- 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwvest. eta 


Season Shi ey Introduced recently _by 7 Wragg and Son of 
Iowa, and from the reports would appear’ to be very promising. 
(12 reports.) 
Sucker State—P. hortulana. (Wayland group.) 
“Above medium, round, bright red, late.” Luedloff, Minn. 
“Round-oblong.*: * -* Cling.” . Kerr, ‘Md. (1 report.) 


Surprise—P. hortulana. (Miner group, according to Mr. Heideman.) 


(Fig. 30.) 
A variety very recently introduced by Mr. Martin Penning of 


-Sleepy-Eye, Minn., and perhaps finest in quality of all the cultivated 


native plums. 

“Best plum I have seen in this state; large, deep, meaty, fine flavor. 
Tree thrifty, productive; early September; do not think it Ameri- 
cana.” Harris, Minn. 


ot aE = NESS: a 


Fic. 30.—Surprise plum, natural size. 


“It may be a hybrid of Miner and Americana, but resembles Miner 
in tree fruit and leaf. Appears to be hardiest of that type.” Heide- 


-— man, Minn. 


“Best of my collection. Bears well and sells well.” Penning, Minn. 
“One of the very best in all respects; equal to any on my grounds.” 
Lord, Minn. (4 reports.) 


While this variety is highly praised by all who report upon it, it 


_has not as yet been extensively tested, 


62 Bulletin No. 68. "eee 2, at | eee 


VanBuren—P. americana, var. mollis. 

“Large, round-oblong, purple-red, skin thick; free; leaves medium, 
densely white-pubescent beneath and on the stalks, as well as the 
young growth, stalks glandular. Medium season. ‘The pubescence is 
most marked on young shoots. An Iowa wild variety, introduced by 
J. Thatcher.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

Favorably reported by Dr. Dennis of Iowa. — (2 reports.) 


Van Deman—P. americana. 

“Large, round, light-red, skin thin; of best quality, cling. Medium 
to late, H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1890. Originated under cultivation.” 
Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Cracks badly as it approaches maturity. The tree is vigorous, ir-- 
-regular, and drooping in form. Very productive.” Kerr, Md. 

“Large, late, not very productive.” Cook, Minn. 

“Medium to large, fine quality.” Terry, Iowa. — (3 reports.) 


Wady’s Early. 

“Early and very good, but the trec is a poor grower and the fruit is 
rather small.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Small, early, of no value.” Terry, Iowa. 

“Quite a commonplace sort.” Matthews, Iowa. (2 reports.) 


Wayland—P. hortulana (Wayland group) (Waugh,) (P. rivularis, Mun- 
son.) 

“Fruit large, round-oblong, shining pink-red, skin medium; semi- 
cling, the stone rather small for the size of the fruit, turgid and 
slightly pitted, very short pointed at both ends; flowers large and long 
stalked, very late; leaves medium to large, rather thick and heavy, 
long pointed, the edge irregularly serrate and notched, the stalks 
glandular. * * * Too late for the northern states. Introduced by 
Downer and Bro., Fairview, Kentucky. First propagated in 1876. It 
came up in a small plum thicket in a corner of the garden of Prof. H. 
B. Wayland, Cadiz, Ky.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Fair late plum; dark rich red; good seller; rather late, comes in 
after Miner.” Howell, Iowa. 

“Not hardy enough in fruit bud; tree stands winter fairly.” Heide- 
man, Minn. 

“Not reliable and needs pollenizers.” Stark, Mo. (4 reports.) 


Wazata—P. americana. 
A wild Minnesota variety described by Bailey, but reported by only 
one grower and by him pronounced of “no value”. (1 report.) 


Weaver—P. americana. 

Large, round-oblong and flattened, suture prominent, orange, 
densely overlaid with mottled red, skin thick; flesh firm, sweet and - 
good; semi-cling, the stone large and flat, obscurely pointed, the wing 
or margin conspicuous, smooth; flowers large and prominently stalked, 
the calyx lobes usually conspicuously glandular and obscurely hairy 
inside; leaves large and firm, deeply toothed, slightly pubescent be- 
neath, the glands rarely prominent and frequently entirely wanting; 
tree a strong free grower and prolific. Medium to late, ripening in 
Minnesota the last of September. Found near Palo, Iowa, by Mr. 
Weaver; introduced by Ennis and Patten in 1875.” Bailey, Bull. 38, 
Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Very erratic in bearing; fruit not uniform in color; does not sell 
well; almost a perfect freestone.” Berryhill, Iowa. . 

The quality is generally commended but it is pronounced only mod- 
erately productive by many growers. (29 reports.) 


Re eta Sree Te he eo we Ee OG 
| J : + 4 Pat | rs ' *< ‘ : ‘ t . s 2 | r . : 
Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 7 De 


\ 


Whitaker—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group.) 
“Large, round-oblong, red; cling.” Kerr, Md. 
“Leaves medium, oblong-ovate, points rather short, very finely and 

evenly serrate, the stalks with small glands or none. Originated un- 

der cultivation in eastern Texas by J. T. Whitaker. Seedling of Wild 

Goose.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Much like Wild Goose.” Terry, Iowa. (3 reports.) 


Wier’s Large Red—P. hortulana. (Miner group.) 

“Large, round, red;-cling.” Kerr, Md. 

“Resembles Miner and no better; not regular in bearing.” Gra- 
ham, Ia. 
Not favorably reported by any. . (4 reports.) 


Se = 


Fic. 31.—Wild Goose Plum, natural size. 


Wier’s No. 50. 

“Medium size to large, round, red on yellow; Clin Pi iet2 Ra ad Pree 
quite vigorous, healthy and productive. Good.” Kerr, Md. 

“Large, dark red; fine grower, annual bearer; good quality.” Terry, 
Ta. (1 report.) 


Wild Goose—P. hortulana. (Wild Goose group:) (Figs 3i.)P= > 
“Large, round-oblong, light red, skin thin; cling, stone long and 
narrow, prolonged above into a shurp point and below into a narrow 
base; finely pitted; flowers medium to large, stalked; leaves oblong- 
lanceolate, peach-like, not prominently pointed, the margins finely 


64 =. Bulletin ‘No. 68. 


and evenly serrate, and the stalks usually Kearite two to four small 
glands. Early. Quality poor. * * * Introduced about 1850 by the 
late J. S. Downer of Fairview, Ky. This is the first native plum intro- 
duced to general oultivation.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Quite variable—a number of variations of this, some of which are 
quite fruitful, others not.” Berryhill, Iowa. 

“Very early but very shy bearer.” Kellogg, Wis. 

This variety is extensively grown over a wide area in the Mississippi 
valley, and the fruit is extensively shipped to Chicago and the other 
large western markets, but the flower-buds are not hardy in northern 
Iowa, in Minnesota or Wisconsin, hence it is rarely fruitful in these lo- 
calities. (17 reports.) 


Wild Rose—P. americana. 

“Large, round, red on yellow, cling. * * * Tree a good grower.” 
Kerr, Md. 

Not commended by any in northwest. Season medium. Introduced | 
in 1880 by A. W. Sias, then of Rochester, Minn. (5 reports.) 


Williams—P. americana. {Nigra group.) 
Deseribed by Kerr of Maryland; reported by but one grower and by 


him pronounced of “no value.” (1 report.) 
Wilson. 
“A very early,-fine plum.” Gaylord, Iowa. (1 report.) 


Winnebago—P. americana. 

“Above medium size, round-oblong, usually a little lop-sided, cherry 
red-on yellow. -Cling..-* 1) #2 Tree. a, fine grower, rigid and thorny; 
bears heavily of very pretty colored fruit.” Kerr, Md. 

“Medium, third quality, moderately productive.” Frankland, Man. 

“Of no value.” Wood, Minn. (4 reports.) 


Wolf (Wolf Free)—P. americana, var. mollis. 

Large, round, yellow blotched ‘with red, skin thick, flesh firm, meaty 
and good. Perfectly free, the stone circular in outline with a ten- 
dency to taper toward the apex, rather flat, the wing or border pro- 
nounced, smooth; flowers medium, short-stalked, the calyx lobes 
glandular and hairy inside; leaves broad and thick, the biades and 
stalks, as well as the young shoots prominently pubescent and often 
glaucous, especially on the young growth, the leaf stalks bearing no 
glands, or only small ones; tree a stout, good grower, prolific. Medium 
season. One of the best both for home use and market. * * * | 
Originated on the farm of D. B. Wolf, Wapello Co., Ia., nearly 40 years 
ago, from pits, said to have been taken from Wild Goose trees in the 
woods.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“One of the most reliable; tree a beautiful, symmetrical grower with 
fine foliage; fruit quite large when tree does not overbear, very bril- 
liant red; very popular in market.. Tree has pubescent branches. 
There are two varieties of Wolf; one with rather light green foliage, 
the other dark green; the latter bears larger fruit.” Berryhill, Ia. 

No variety has been more generally commended than this. It is 
pronounced productive and regular in bearing from southern lowa and 
Nebraska to Stonewall, Man., and appears to be generally satisfactory. 
Some regard it rather ‘too acid for culinary use. (26 reports.) 


Wood. 
“Large, purplish-red; mid season; productive.” Luedloff, Minn. 
“Taken from the woods in Cottonwood Co., Minn., on shore of Des 
Moines river, by Jos. Wood. Well tested here; ranks with De Soto in 
quality and productiveness, and is ordinarily much larger; ripens a lit- 
tle earlier than Cheney.” Cook, Minn, (3 Teporieus 


a ~ 
7 ret fe OF 2 f 
eee 


~ - PY 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 65 


Fig. 32.— Wyant plum, natural size. 


Wooster—P. hortulana. 
“Not hardy; killed last winter.” Luedloff, Minn. 


World Beater—P. hortulana. | (Wayland group.) ; 

“Large, round-oblong, dark red, skin medium, cling; leaves medium 
and long-pointed, rather dull, somewhat irregularly serrate, the 
stalks usually glandular. Very late. Of good quality. Found wild in 
Tennessee. Introduced by Stark bros. in 1889.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. 
Univ. Exp. Sta. 


66 "Bulletin: No. 63. <r 


“Skin cooks tender but flesh is very mealy and sour when cooked. 

This is by some considered identical with Wayland.” Matthews, Ia. 
(5 reports.) 
Wyant—P. americana. (Fig. 32.) 

Fruit medium to large, slightly oblong and distinctly flattened, 
purplish-red, inclining to orange on the shaded side; semi-cling; skin 
thick; flesh rich yellow, sometimes red next the stone, of good quality. 
Stone broad, blunt pointed, roundish on edges, somewhat rough; leaves 
rather narrow, sharply serrate, glandless or nearly so. This has been 
one of the most productive varieties at our Station. The quality is 
variable and is sometimes quite astringent. 

“Tree spreading grower, fine foliage, very | prolific, superior to 
Weaver in quality and much more beautiful. Splendid for home and 
market.” Berryhill, Ia. 

Some regard this variety a poor shipper but otherwise it is generally 
commended. The plum described by Prof. Bailey in Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. 
Exp. Sta. under this name appears to be another variety. 

(17 reports.) 


Yellow Oregon. 
“Bears well and ‘is valuable for jelly.” Matthews, Ia. (1 report.) 


Yellow Panhandle—P. watsonii. 

“Below medium to small size, round-oblong, yellow ground over- 
spread and clouded with bright red; * * trees grow rapidly form- 
ing a close symmetrical head.” Kerr, Md. 

“Looks not hardy.” lLuedloff, Minn. (1 report.) 


Yellow Sweet—P. americana. 

“Medium, round-oblong and flattened, ground color orange, mottled 
and splashed with pink purple; skin thick; free, the stone nearly cir- 
cular, rather flat and somewhat sharp on the back, rough. Minne- 
sota.” Bailey, Bull. 38, Cor. Univ. Exp. Sta. 

“Cling; very sweet; productive.” Luedloff, Minn. (1 report.) 


Yellow Egg. 

“Long; freestone; number one; tree a weeper, productive.” Wood, 
Minn. 

There is also a Yellow Egg plum among the European class. 

(1 report.) 

Yellow Yosemite—P. americana. 

Possibly identical with Purple Yosemite. 

“A shy bearer.” Terry, Ia. eaie™ 

“Of no value.”’ Stark, Mo. (2 reports.) 


As an index to the extent to which the different varieties of native 
plums have been planted in the northwest, the varieties reported upon 


by five or more growers are arranged below in the order of the num- 


ber of reports: 

De Soto, 36 reports; Forest Garden, 30 reports; Rollingstone and 
Weaver, 29 reports each; Hawkeye, 28 reports; Cheney, 27 reports; 
Miner and Pottawattamie, 20 reports each; Wild Goose, 17 reports, 
Rockford, 16 reports; Harrison’s Peach, 13 reports; Hammer and 
Stoddard, 12 reports each; Milton, New Ulm, Ocheeda and Poole’s 
Pride, 10 reports each; Charles Downing, Choptank, Quaker and Ma- 
quoketa, 9 reports each; Comfort, Forest Rose, Gaylord, Golden 


Culture of Native Plums in the Northwest. 67 


Beauty and Speer, 8 reports each; Black Hawk, Knudson’s Peach, 
Prairie Flower and Robinson, 7 reports each; Champion and Chippe- 
way, 6 reports each; Illinois Ironclad, Luedloff’s Red, Moreman, New- 
man, Newton Egg and Aitkin, 5 reports each. 

In conclusion I desire to express my indebtedness to the following 
persons who have kindly aided me in gathering the data submitted in 
this bulletin: , 

Geo. S. Bacon, Des Moines, Ja.; S. A. Beach, Geneva, N. Y.; S. A. 
Bedford, Brandon, Man.; Hon. J. G. Berryhill, Des Moines, Ia.; Prof. 
J. L. Budd, Ames, Ia.; Prof. F. W. Card, Lincoln, Neb.; W. H. H. Cash, 
New Lisbon, Wis.; Dewain Cook, Windom, Minn.; E. H. S. Dartt, 
Owatonna, Minn.; Dr. A. B. Dennis, Cedar Rapids, Ia.; Thomas Frank- 
land, Stonewall, Man.; C. O. Garrett, Ivy, Ia.; Edson Gaylord, Nora 
Spring's, Ia.; M. J. Graham, Adel, Ia.; N. Haight, Madison, Wis.; F. A. 
Hardin, Weyauwega, Wis.; J. S. Harris, La Crescent, Minn.; A. L. 
Hatch, Ithaca, Wis.; C. W. H. Heideman, Janesville, Minn.; J. A. 
Heisler, Mapleton, Ia.; Donald Hill, Storm Lake, Ia.; M. E. Hinckley, 
Marcus, Ia.; Dr. T. H. Hoskins, Newport, Vt.; E. Howell, Des Moines, 
la.; G. A. Ivins, 1owa Falls, Ia.; Geo. J. Kellogg, Janesville, Wis.; J. W. 
Kerr, Denton, Md.; H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn.; O. M. Lord, Min- 
nesota City, Minn.; Charles Luedloff, Cologne, Minn.; Angus Mackay, 
Indian Head, Assa.; G. A. Marshall, Arlington, Neb.; B. A. Matthews, 
Knoxville, Ia.; J. T. Macomber, Grand Isle, Vt.; A. Norby, Madison, S. 
Dak.; Wm. Oxford, Freeburg, Minn.; C. G. Patten, Charles City, Ia.; 
Martin Penning, Sleepy-Eye, Minn.; 8. D. Richardson, Winnebago 
City, Minn.; August Stark, North Bend, Wis.; Stark Brothers, Louis- 
iana, Mo.; Christian Steinman, Mapleton, Ia.; E. F. Stephens, Crete, 
Neb.; J. S. Stickney, Wauwatosa, Wis.; F. W. Taylor, Omaha, Neb.; 
H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia.; C. E. Tobey, Sparta, Wis.; Wm. Toole, Bara- 
boo, Wis.; J. M. Underwood, Lake City, Minn.; C. L. Watrous, Des 
Moines, Ia.; Prof. F. A. Waugh, Burlington, Vt.; Clarence Wedge, Al- 
bert Lea, Minn.; W. S. Widmoyer, Dresbach, Minn.; Silas Wilson, At- 
lantic, la.; James Wood, Windom, Minn.; M. J. Wragg, Waukee, I[a.; 
Younger & Co., Geneva, Neb.; L. M. Macomber, North Ferrisburg, Vt.; 
Prof. S. B. Green, St. Anthony Park, Minn. 

Figures 2, 6 and 7 are from “Insects Injurious to Fruits,” by William 
Saunders, F. R. S. C., and are used by permission of the publishers, 
the J. B. Lippincott Co., of Philedelphia, Pa. 

Figures 8 and 9 are used through the courtesy of the officers of the 


_ Cornell University Experiment Station. 


VIRGINIA 
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 


BULLETIN No. 67, AUGUST, 1896. 


New Series. VOLUME V. | No. 8. 


NOTES ON THE PLUM ORCHARD. 


Any farmer in the State can, upon application, have the Bulletins of 
the Station mailed to his Address free of Charge. 


BLACKSBURG, MONTGOMERY CoO., VA. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL. 


Capt. C. E. VAWTER, : ‘ : , : ; : : ‘ CROZET 
S. H. GRAVES, Eso., wg ge eS 
J. M. McBRYDE, : : : : . BLACKSBURG 


STATION STAFF. 


JOHN M. McBRYDE, Pu. D., LIA-D), “°°. A 


WM. B. ALWOOD, Vice-Director, Horticulturist, Entomologist and Mycologist 


EB. A. SMYTH, Jr. A Mio. 60°.) 0 
D. O. NOURSE, B. S., ; ; .  Agriculturist and Farm Superintendent 
R. Jz. DAVIDSON, A.M. 2 9 Chemist 
Ba P.O NILES, “DiaVceMin es ? , ‘ : ; ; : Veterinarian 


W.. B.cRLULETS M.S; 
Assistant Chemists 


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The STaTION, Post and TELEGRAPH OFFICE is Blacksburg, Va. ; FREIGHT 
and EXPRESS OFFICE, Christiansburg, Va. (N. & W. R’y.) 


NOTES ON THE PLUM ORCHARD. 


A considerable number of plums were planted the Spring of 
1889 in the general orchard work. General and critical notes so 
far as possible have been made on growth, fruitfulness, etc., and a 
brief report is presented at this time. 

The collection of varieties embraces typical representatives of the 
three great groups of cultivated plums, but the list is in no sense 
complete. So far as I was able to learn, when selecting this orchard, 
plum culture was little practiced in the State, and at present I am 
not aware that plum orcharding has been carried to such an extent 
as to give reliable data for commercial ventures. While climatic 
conditions here are very adverse to all stone fruits, it still appears 
that our notes are worthy of record and the observations made may 

prove of value to those desiring to grow plums as a commercial 
_ venture. 

The soil conditions and the general culture of the plum orchard 
are the same as already described in Bulletin 49 on Pear Culture, 
consequently, need not be repeated. 

The dates of blooming are given in full primarily for the sake of 
recording this data, yet believing that eventually the observations 
on bloom periods and temperature will be of value. 

Only a few varieties are recorded as blooming in 1894, because 
the heavy freeze March 25-27th killed the buds so dead they did 
not open. The effects of this freeze on some varieties extended 
over into the next year as will be noticed that no bloom is recorded 
for a considerable number in the column for 1895. 

A considerable number of varieties are also so tender in fruit 
bud as to never set even a partial crop here. Such are unnoted in 
column on season. 

The Japanese varieties are somewhat erratic as to bloom period. 
Their habit is to burst into bloom whenever a few unseasonably 
warm days occur, whereas the American and Domestica classes 
are more tardy. If, even, low temperatures prevail the Japanese 
varieties bloom more nearly with the others, but are extremely sub- 
ject to the stimulus of a few warm days. This is peculiarly unfor- 
tunate in this changeable climate. I am satisfied that this class 
of plums offer valuable characteristics wherever they escape frost. 


94 


PLUMS. 
| DATE OF BLOOM. 
VARIETY. SEASON. 
| 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 
Native Varieties. 
Lore Stay coos ticle lcesennsccucocnsdceeanesdig]eedeosauelauce cee els@eesuutllc cu erties ttt === 
IMCD TIATINA \ictecs bots don sevecoa aria eaguee tes ate 4-14 | 3-21 | 4-26 | 4-18 | 421 Early 
Rabinedn 2) iON Ce ARG Ae Oe 4.08 | 417 ge 
Seedling No. 1...... ccssscsseeseeeseeseeeeeees 4-20 |.......0. 4-30 | 4-20 | 4-22 | Medium 
Seedling No. 20s livin don ah ese einen esters 4-20") i ieks §-2 | 4-20 | 4-24 qi... 
Wayland ie tae See, gente) Fava. 6-1) |... 2 a 
WIE SS 0086) 12. Aaece les okt eb ene dead, mameaes A= 19 8) CGS baer 4-29 | 4-20 | 4-22 | Early 
Domestica Varieties. 
Bavay’s Green Gage.....ss.ceceserceeeescnsees 4-14 |......... 4-28 | 4-20 | 4-24 | Late. 
Beauty of) Naples, 0.2276 AUR ites Snel nantes ae a evens 4-22 | 4-26 | Medium. 
Heideh aw. ocd. as ae ie ee dion c\neeiae nee 4-20 | 4-27 Sialy, 
Bunker Hill wo. io eda. avec awte ose sene oaee aie he eet eee ee 4-20 | 4-24 |i 
German Pruvie 2sis005 2 oases pee ee ase 4-200. 2A. 4-28 | 4-19 | 4-27 Late 
Geant 335.0035 UiiaGa ste dbecaheceetpebarece-so8 dos) efie- peel Seg eee mn 4-18 | 4-26 | Early. 
Golden Drop....,......« Spee: panwiusebem she vewed 414d erica Vege els 4-20 | 4-26 | Medium 
Grand/Duke 2.4) dees his ehe een ieddet oa Ah 1B Haias fhe tal os Peace 4-17 |) 4-21 0) hie acct we 
Tinperial Gages... d.0: viet ies saslenas anne does ALA ts. csastiealabe coy ke 4-20 | 4-28 | Late 
Ttalian “Prune ais,ccccieaetaercoeaaheeaee sul ans saan’ coun, aches aren 4-17 | 4-26 |cccscvnredsars 
oJ GLLOPSON, .d.-. bap htie Cos woes <sok gotta pale stu ttae cae oat tamreMnnel aes an ps 4-80, |: 4-200 42 A ose'ae dept Ses 
THOMA DATO) d:s.dveccseowas oes hoaueaseinsdeer ears 4-14 |......... 4-27 | 4-20 | 4-24 | Medium 
INE GApAtLE IN. ost stones sa eeeanaen meee ses 4-20), ..deceee 4-28 | 4-19 | 4-26 | Medium 
Prince Engel berts: i... pees acne aie: A oavelpecen els| wep seeu! coaaeeees 4-19 | 4-26 |............. 
Prune Of (A PON: dc. sseGaren peneemiecrmee eines 4-14 | css oes 4-27 | 4-20 | 4-22 |........c0000 
PONE tak acs 61 iagmoot banks coee emerges eerenatagts 4-19 | n.csapyer 4-28 | 4-22 | 4-27 Late 
Quiacken DOSb!. jcsccscaenceccnsenstssbacesugeeleisarimunee | ceue hens] 7s use scot) stem 4-~-ZB ele. anekeetapaes 
GIN GHOAUGS o..ciscs ceases oe overtones eae 4-14 |......... 4-30 | 4-19 | 4-24 Late 
Y GlUlOW UES cssleves~apncceassevaperatheaauenes Cl & ah PES Te 4-29 | 4-20 | 4-23 | Medium 
Japanese Varieties. 
Awuidanca sehr ck ee 4-14 | 3-21 | 4-21 | 4-17 | 4-16 Tay, 
TV-G L BOY csi avis ssc pe ¥epe answs sou sahseioysspbtene tras bem coec aseame ee mente 4-25 | 4-27 1. sseusvews 
AIQOU peedeaksssesshespauereweuss Meaeriaterasere se 4-14 | 8-21 | 4-22 | 4-18 } 4-19 | Early 
PYV DOSOD sdhnct xdaevssVaextnyehasCoiventsyweveisier 4-15 |......... 4-30 |....ceer| soecnsbenlie a tema 
Damson 

PIETOPIENING Avs esssusep ctvnsceseeasarns sce sesh sees pan We ed 4-28 | 4-20 | 4-28 Late. 


95 


Love Srar.—This variety has done no good from some cause. 

Marianna.—T'ree small, forms dense bushy head, willowy twigs. 
Sets abundant crop of fruit, which, however, is small and indifferent 
and ripens unevenly, season, July 20th to August Ist. Of no com- 
mercial value, except to grow cuttings from for budding stock. 

Roxsinson.—Tree a good grower, sets a heavy crop of fruit but is 
small and indifferent in quality. However, superior to Marianna. 
Season August 12-25th. Has very little value. 

_ Seepiine No. 1. (T. V. Munson.)—A good grower, sets an enor- 
mous crop of fruit but is small and. quite indifferent. Season 
August 15-25th. 

SEEDLING No. 2.(T.V. M.)—Grows very poorly, has done nothing. 

Wayzanp.—This variety has done nothing here. 

Witp Goosze.—Tree grows well, large Foes habit, very 
hardy and sets a full crop of fruit almost without exception. The 

fruit is good size and has real value, but ripens unevenly and falls 
to the ground at once. This character hurts its commercial value. 
Ripens July 20th to August Ist. 

Bavay.—Tree grows very strongly and is one of the hardiest of 
the Domestica class here. Sets some fruit almost every year, but 
is not sufficiently hardy for this situation. It can be grown wherever 
peaches will beara crop. The fruit is of best quality, season late, 
September 5-15th. 

Brauty or Napies.—Grows well and about as hardy as Bavay, 
and does not rot so badly, fruit smaller but of fine quality. Season 
August 2d to 10th. Well worth a trial. 

BrapsHaw.— Tree grows well, and is fairly hardy in fruit buds, 
fruit large, purple color, low in quality. This variety rots very 
badly, and little can be said in commendation. Season July 25th 
to August dth. 

Bunker Hiti.—Has done nothing here. 

GERMAN Prune.—F air grower but does no good here. 

Gruit.—Tree grows well, and is fairly hardy in fruit buds, but 
does not set crop every year. Fruit large, purple color, only fair 
quality. Season early, July 20-28th. This is the most promising 
early plum of Domestica class we have grown. It is fine for culi- 
nary use. : 

GoLDEN Drop. —Tree grows fairly well, sets very little fruit, and 
these seldom mature. « 


96. 


Granp DuxKx.—Grows fairly well, but too tender in bud, never 
fruits here. : : . 

ImpeRIAL GacE.—Very vigorous tree, and one of the hardiest 
Domestica plums, sets a good crop when season is at all propitious. 
Fruit large, of finest quality, midseason, August 10-25th. 

IrantAN Prunze.—Moderate grower, so tender in bud that it does 
not fruit here. 

JEFFERSON.—A good grower, but has not fruited with us. 

LomBparp.—Grows well, and sets an abundant crop when season 
is at all propitious. Sixty fruits were counted on one foot of limb 
in 1896. The fruit is good size, but one of the most affected by 
rot, and quality is only fair. Season August 10-20th. 

McLaveutin.—A good grower, sets very little fruit here. This 
is large and fairly good quality, season August 5-15th. 

Prince EneLepert.—Grows fairly well, but does not set fruit 
here. 

Prune or AcGeN.—Fair grower, does not set fruit here. 

Ponp.—Tree grows well, sets very little fruit; this is large, qual- 
ity only fair. Season August 15-25th. 

(QUACKENBOSS.—Grows well, but too tender in bud, does not set 
fruit. 

REINE CLaupE.—Tree grows well, sets very little fruit, this is 
medium size, very good quality. Season August 20-30th. 

YELLOW Eac.—Tree grows very well, sets fruit very scantily with © 
us, this is of fine appearance, large and of good quality. Season 
August 15-30th. 

ABUNDANCE.—Tree tender in this climate, not so hardy as most 
peaches, nor is it hardy in bud for we have had abundant bloom for 
five years, yet but one crop has matured. One almost fatal defect 
is the early bloom period. Often a difference of three to seven days 
earlier than others which usually means the entire loss of the crop. 
Fruit medium and very good for its class, season July 25th to 
August 5th. 

KrLsEY.—Grows well enough, but has not fruited here. 

Ocon.—A better grower here than Abundance, and more hardy 
in bud. Sets a little fruit almost every year and favorable vears a 
good crop. Size medium, quality good, early and very desirable 
where it can be fruited with reasonable certainty. 

Wooton.—Has done nothing heres 


97 


SHROPSHIRE Damson.—Tree an excellent grower and is very 
hardy in bud. Seldom fails to set fruit and matures a good crop. 
In size and quality is superior to common damsons grown in 
Virginia. 

BROWN ROT OF PLUMS. 

It is scarcely necessary to repeat the general remarks on treat- 
ment for fungus diseases published in several previous Bulletins. 
But concerning brown rot (Monilia fructigena) we may say that 
only the most persistent effort can hold this fungus in check. As 
all growers have observed, the decayed fruits hang to the twigs and 
persist over winter. It is from these in the early days of spring 
that an abundant crop of spores are borne, and the petals of the 
flowers, young leaves, and even many branches, are attacked. 
These mummied fruits also hang on all summer, and continue to 
produce spores. Hence, by the time the fruits become half-grown 
_ or begin to mature, the infecting spores may come from the old 
decayed fruits of the previous year or from more recent infection 
on the young growth of the current year. Whenever the fruit has 
become badly attacked treatment is quite useless. 

The proper plan is to remove all decayed fruit from the orchard 
when the trees are free from foliage, as it can be easily seen at this 
time, then before the buds swell in the spring, wash the trees thor- 
oughly with a solution of concentrated lye or of sulphate of copper. 
The first solution should be made by dissolving eight cans of lye in 
fifty gallons of water, and the copper sulphate solution by dissolv- 
ing two pounds copper sulphate (bluestone) in fifty gallons of 
water. I consider the lye preferable but the latter may be some- 
what pleasanter to handle. This washing is very important and 
perhaps does as much real good as all later work. 

The later washings should be given as follows: Weak Bordeaux 
just as color shows plainly in the bloom buds and repeated soon as 
bloom has fallen. If the work is well done to this point, very little 
infection will have survived. Concerning value of later sprayings, 
Iam very much in doubt. If the early washing is not well done, 
I have almost no faith in later treatment. 

All washing or treatment of orchards should be done with a 
spray pump. Poor, half work is usually a dead loss. 

Wm. B. ALWOOD, 
IssueD Aveust, 1897. Horticulturist, etc. 


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BULLETIN 46 MARCH, I900 


[OWA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE — 


EXPERIMENT STATION 


AMES, IOWA 


~ Department of Horticulture and Forestry 


FACTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT 


Plums and Plum Growing 


IN IOWA 


CAN PRIN 
ageu Sie, ea STING cg 
+-——=0( CEDAR RAPIDS, 1A )jo==>—-_. 


PRINTERS & BINDER? 


Board of Trustees. 


Members by virtue of office— 
His Excellency, L. M. SHAw, Governor of the State. 
Hon. R. C. BARRETT, Supt. of Public Instruction. 


Term Expires 


First District—Hon. S. H. WaTKINS, Libertyville, 1904 
Second District—Hon.C. 5S. BARCLAY, West Liberty 1904 


Third District—Hon. J. S. JONEs, Manchester, 1902 
Fourth District—Hon. C. L. GABRILSON, New 
Hampton, - - - - - 1904 


Fifth District—Hon. W. R. MONINGER, Galven 1904 
Sixth District—Hon. W.O. McELRoy, Newton, 1902 
Seventh District—Hon. W. K. BOARDMAN, Nevada 1904 
Eighth District—Hon. W. B. PENICK, Tingley, 1904 
Ninth District—Hon. L. B. ROBINSON, Avoca, 1go2 
Tenth District—Hon. J. B. HUNGERFORD, Carroll, 1904 
Eleventh District—Hon. W. J. DIxON, Sac City, 1904 


Officers of the Board. 


Hon. W. O. McELRoy, Newton, Chairman. 
Prof. E. W. STANTON, Ames, Secretary. 
HERMAN KNAppP, Ames, Treasurer. 


Station Staff. 
W. M. BEARDSHEAR, A. M., LL. D., President. 
*JAMES WILSON, Dean of the Division of Agriculture. 


C. F. Curtiss, B. Sc., M. S. A., Director and Agri- 
culturist. 


J. B. WEEmsS, Ph. D., Chemist. 

L. H. PAMMEL, B. Agr., M. Sc., Ph. D., Botanist. 

H. E. SUMMERS, B. S., Entomologist. 

JOHN CraiG, B. Agr., M. S., Horticulturist. 

JoHN A. CraiG, B, S. A., Animal Husbandry. 

JOHN J. Repp, V. M. D.,. Veterinarian. 

G. L. McKay, Dairying. 

JAMES ATKINSON, B. S. A., Assistant in Agriculture. 
JOSEPH J. EDGERTON, B. Agr., Asst. in Agr. Physics. 


C. H. Eckues, B. Agr., M. Sc., Assistant in Dairying 
and Dairy Bacteriology. 


He oy Tptaaet ne Sie Assistant Botanists. 

mee hs OR A ed ...-.-.----Assistant Entomologist. 
Ton J. VERNON, B. S. A., Assistant Horticulturist. 
CLARENCE J. GRIFFITH, B. S. A., Asst. in Dairying. 
A. T. IRwIn, Assistant in Greenhouse., 

GEO. M. ROMMEL, Assistant in Animal Husbandry. 


t ae Rtbetewerice. B.S. A, | Assistant Chemists. 


CHARLOTTE M. KING, Artist. 


*Granted an indefinite leave of absence. 


EL 


jae 
EN? 


FACTS AND OPINIONS ABOUT 


Plums and Plum Growing 


CONTENTS. 

SYSTEMATIC STUDY AND SPECIAL PROBLEMS........ 22 Anas 
Pee OLE OCUCtOL Vinee ale re eS acts Va es tof 2A 
2. Systematic Survey. . iZR4 
3. Characteristics of the leading. types of plums. 236 
4. Development of Americana plums in Iowa... 237 
5. Special problems in plum growing..........238 

eM ERLE RIUY ore fore asst oa ake oo 0.9. as BOO 
Pete ieesoiihe TeCOrds. oaks acy hse! :) S240 
c. Pollination tables.. shee ae eee 
d. Hardy and tender fruit bass Se eee 242 

THE VARIETY QUESTION IN IowWA.. Mina ks ae 2A 
1. Native varieties grown in Taw ee ara ts e2a7 
2. European and Japanese varieties grown, in 

Lowaeis rr: .248 
3. Varieties recommended for. different parts of 
the state. . Bg eR eta Lane hind aetnry sta en a 4 © 
4. Bh RAG We eee Ante SS aes area e267. 
Pi TIN AUIS Cr te Coe al 7th Urs Bee teas 254 
Pee DO imesiicn sent sais os tee ero 64 
Gi fanaNnese > eas aaa a y's 2A 
5- Clippings from Correspondence. - Se ne Sf 
@a “lowa..a <2. each 2 Sid. 


IN IOWA. 


JOHN CRAIG. 


b. Nebraska. Mon eenaia ACeovtentis Get Ey 


VARIETY MENTION—DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. ..259 


CUMTURALS VI EMORANDA. Giitavemmisic errs? 2 OA Oe 
Taisen calp a stash, ieee oO AS BTSs EH 2G 
PMA TINO oer sia. ep neeN er ay CoB ZO 6 
BreCutityatiom: as ai Jas veneer ah thats ices vay a2 OO 
ise) O24 ANURY GU Big CORDON Ay eee ee lr id «hae Pt: ZOO 
Rit, ODF AV Ine ts <i2 2 Pies ROM Ae, £24 ER 2OS 
ipa DMT Mian oP A ee ren Voie stl 5 IR 208 
FCO OSes Aine ae OAL AEE Meroe PE Oa SEE FOO 
SRA CSV er <IN Oe earn ia aint o's eres Cae OS 


234 


l. SYSTEMATIC STUDY AND SPECIAL PROBLEMS. 


1. INTRopucTorRy.-—In the following pages the writer 
attempts to set forth some of the facts gained during a brief 
investigation of the plum growing industry in this state, and 
presents in addition an epitome of the experience of many 
orchardists, some of them particularly interestedin this branch 
of their calling. 

At least two prominent factors have contributed in recent 
years to direct attention to plum growing. First, the intro- 
duction of the Japanese plums, and their marvellously rapid dis- 
tribution; and second, the striking progress made by a few 
specialists in improving native plums. The fact that while 
.the Japanese varieties, the native varieties, and the varieties 
of the older European (Domestica) type, though each possess- 
ing valuable characteristics, did not have in themselves all the 
qualities desired, yet intercrossed readily, encouraged and 
offered the plant breeder excellent: material with which to work. 
In response to man’s effort but often accomplished only by nat- 
ural agencies, intermediate forms have appeared, which though 
not perfect, yet in many instances are vastly superior to types 
which produced them, —in this way a race of hybrid plums has 
been developed and is now offered to a plum loving public. It 
is this plasticity of the plum which renders it alike interesting 
to the experiment station horticulturist and the enthusiastic 
fruit grower. 

2. SYSTEMATIC SURVEY.—It is unprofitable at the pres- 
ent time to study the plum question at all minutely without 
familiarizing one’s self with the prominent and characteristic 
features of the leading types of plums. Since Bailey! mono- 
graphed the native plums, much good work has been done by 
Waugh? and Goff*. In order to present the data which fol- 
lows in an intelligible manner it .is necessary that a brief re- 
view of the present botanical status of cultivated plums should 
be offered. | 

The following classification is offered by Waugh. It 
would seem to be the most satisfactory and acceptable of those 
offered at the present time: 


1. Bulletin 38, Cornell Experiment Station, 1897. 
2. Bulletin 53, Vermont Experiment Station. Report, Experiment Station, 1897-8-9. 
3. Bulletin 59, Wisconsin Experiment Station. 


GROUP. CHARACTERIZATION. TECHNICAL NAME. 


DOMESTICA. |The European garden*¢plums| Prunus domestica. 
and their seedlings. 


JAPANESE. _ | The Japanese plums. Prunus triflora. 


AMERICANA. |The northwestern American} Prunus Americana. 
wild plums and their culti- 
vated descendants. 


NIGRA. Varieties mostly derived from | Prunus Americana 
the wild plums of northeast-| variety Nigra. 
ern North America. _ 


MINER. Varieties resembling the Miner, 
passing into the Americanas 
on one side and the Wild- 
goose group on the other. 


Prunus hortulana 
WAYLAND. Varieties resembling Wayland. (Of hybrid origin.) 


WILDGOOSE. | Varieties resembling Wild- 
goose, but passing indistin- 

‘ guishably into the next. 

CHICASAW. The Chicasaw plums. | Prunus angustifolia. 


MARIANNA. | The Marianna and others. Probably hybrids. 


tative and subject to revision, is not intended 
to convey the impression that each group is 
a clear-cut entity with characteristics so pe- 
culiar and marked that it is easily distin- 
guished from all other groups. It should be 
viewed as an attempt at a systematic ar- 
rangement of the cultivated varieties of 
plums into groups more or less defined. 
From this standpoint the work is timely, 
valuable, and incidentally a strong argu- 
ment in behalf of systematic pomology. 
Each group is marked by some prominent 
features relative to fruit or tree, which affect 
prominently its usefulness in this or that 
part of the country. When the fruit grower 
is possessed-of these salient group features 
and knows to which group a certain variety 
belongs, he is thereby enabled to form a 


Fig. 1 
s - WYANT, Americana. 
more or less correct impression of the prob- Buds, leaf and fruit, par- 


able value of the variety in his locality. wiraieey eye Pee nied: 


° 


236 


3. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEADING TYPES OF PLUMs. 


For the purpose of reviewing some of the good and bad 
features, characteristic of each group as noted in this state, 
these are placed oppositely in the following tabular ar- 
It should be remembered that in broad general- 
izations of this kind important exceptions may occur. 


rangement. 


GROUP. 


DOMESTICA. 


JAPANESE. 


AMERICANA. 


NIGRA. 


MINER. 


WAYLAND. 


WILDGOOSE 


CHICASAW. 


MARIANNA. 


GOOD POINTS. 


Fruit firm fleshed. 
Quality good. 


Fruit handsome, 
firm, fair quality, 
productive, ships 
well; small pit. 


Tree hardy, pro- 
ductive. Fruit 
handsome. 


Hardy, productive. 
Fruit handsome. 
Thin skin. 


Fruit attractive; 
late. 


Tree vigorous; fruit 
handsome, late. 


Tree vigorous; fruit 
handsome, early. 


Tree vigorous; fruit 
handsome. 


Fruit handsome. 


WEAK POINTS. 


Fruit buds tender. 
Subject to fun- 
gous diseases. 


Blossom early, 
fruit buds tender, 
susceptible to rot. 


Self sterility,astrin- 
gency and _ soft- 
ness of fruit; 
large pit; thick 
skin. 


Selfsterility,astrin- 
gency of fruit; 
large pits; plum 
pockets. 


Self sterility; soft 
texture of fruit; 
fruit buds tender. 


Self sterility; fruit 
small, soft tex- 
tured. 


Self sterility; early 
blooming; soft 
texture of fruit. 


Tree tender; fruit 
small. 


| Buds tender; fruit 


PROBABLE VALUE 
IN IOWA. 


Hardiest varieties, 
under good cul- 
ture, in favored 
localities only. 


|Doubtfully useful 


in south part of 
state. 


Useful in all parts 
of state. 


Useful in northern 
sections. 


Useful in south 
half of state. 


Considerable in 
southern counties. 


Considerable in 
southern Iowa on 
account of earli- 
ness. 


Slight in the south 
part. 


Some value as a 
fruit stock. 


small: worthless. 


It is unquestionably true that the chief reliance of the lowa 
plum grower must rest upon varieties belonging to the Ameri- 
cana group, This fact is strongly emphasized by the experi- 
ence of fruit growers recited later on. Domesticas, Japanese, 
and the southern native types while they have their advocates, 


re 


237 


and their places and phases of usefulness in the state, are re- 
stricted after all to circumscribed areas and successfully grown 
only by the most careful systems of 
culture. Japanese and Domestica 
plums are uncertain; they are for 
the few, while Americanas are for 
the million. While recognizing the 
merits of the Americanas, we cannot 
go the length of admitting that in 
flavor they compare favorably with 
the finest Domesticas. In our opin- 
ion they do not. But then we can- 
not grow the finest Domesticas here, 
—we only grow inasmall way those 
like Lombard of medium quality, — 
so the materials for crucial com- 
parison are wanting. Taking the best 
varieties of Domesticas which may be 
grown here with fluctuating degrees 
of success, as a basis of comparison 
._ we are free to say that with them 


Fig. 2. - 
BURBANK, Japanese. the best Americanas compare very 
Buds rounded, fruit buds often on 
short spurs. f—Fruit, /—Leaves. favorably. 


4. _DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICANA 
PLums IN Iowa.—Fruit growers in 
this state have taken an important 
place in the improvement of native 
plums. Probably no other state pos- 
sesses such a large number of inde- 
pendent workers who have been so 
eminently successful in producing use 
ful varieties. It isalso but fair to point 
out that the Horticultural Depart- 
ment of the Iowa Agricultural Col- 
lege, under the direction of Prof. 
Budd, recognized at an early date 
the pomological importance of the 
Americana group and was _ instru- 
mental in popularizing varieties of 
_ this series in the state. Asan ex- ames: HYBRID, Japanese- 
ample the history of Wyant may be Ta adits cin cectenee ends 
cited (see Wyant page 292.) In theseself-congratulatory re- 

marks there is no intention of decrying the great progress 


238 


made by such workers outside the state as Kerr of Maryland, 
Munson and Bruce of Texas, Breece of North Carolina, Wil- 
liams of Nebraska, and Lord, Luedloff, and Knudson of Min- 
nesota. Our remarks are directed chiefly to the improve- 
ment of the Americana group, and the fact that the major 
portion of this development which has taken place in Iowa is 
due undoubtedly to the free 
distribution of this form of the 
native plum over the state, 
coupled with its evident perfect 
adaptation to our soil and cli- 
matic conditions. It appears to 
be true that wherever a species 
grows with least effort, there, 
variation is in greatest evidence. 
Iowa is undoubtedly the favored 
‘home of Prunus Americana, 
which may reasonably account 
for the many fine varieties of 
this type which should be cred- 
ited to efforts of Hawkeye fruit 
growers. Hawkeye, Stoddard, 
Hammer, and Wyant are not 
among the least of these. The 
work of H. A. Terry, Crescent, 
has alone brought much credit 
to the state; coupled with it . Fig. 4. 
should appear the names of  ,o2QWNING, Nildgoose Type. 
Patten, Wragg, Budd, Dennis, Mathews, Watrous and Theo. 
Williams, formerly of Iowa, now of Benson, Nebraska. 

5- SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN PLUM GrRowiNG. @. JSélf- 
Sterility.—This is the inability of varieties to set fruit when 
supplied only with pollen from their own blossoms. It has 
been conclusively proved ! that all varieties of native plums 
are practically self-sterile; that Japanese plums ? may virtu- 
ally be placed in the same category; while data is yet wanting 
upon which to definitely dispose of the case against the Do- 
mesticas, although the assumption is that they are equally 
deficient in this respect. The fact of self-sterility being 
proved, the problem of how to remedy the condition remains. 

Pollination: This is the act of transferring the pollen 
from one flower to another by whatever agency, natural or 


1, Waugh, Rept, Vt. Exp. Sta., 1897, p. 88. 2. Waugh, Rept. Vt. Exp. Sta., 1898, p. 257. 


——s 


239 


artificial that may be employed. In horticultural usage the 
term has come to mean the interchange of pollen between va- 
rieties having such sexual affinities as may result in fecunda- 
tion and the production of fruit. In order to provide for sat- 
isfactory pollination a knowledge of the blossoming period of 
varieties is essential, so that those blossoming at or about the 
Same time may be intermingled. Aside from the question of 
blossoming period there is the deeper one of mutual affinities, 
which though not so important as the blossoming period, as 
affecting pollination, should nevertheless be taken into account. 
To insure satisfactory pollination the grower then should first 
consider the blossoming period and second sexual affinity. It 


Fig. 5—MINER AND FOREST ROSE, C. lL. WaTrRous, DES MOINES. 


will usually be safe to plant intermingled, the varieties blos- 
soming at or about the same time, but success will be more 
assured if these varieties belong to the same group. Kerr ! 
points out a marked exception to this rule in the case of 
Wildgoose, which he claims refuses pollen of Milton and 
Whitaker in flower at the same time. Newman, a Chicasaw, 
is recommended as pollenizer for Wildgoose. The Japanese 
varieties are good pollenizers for themselves, also members of 
Chicasaw and Wildgoose group. The number of chance 


1. J. W. Kerr catalogue, I899. 


240 


hybrids which have appeared in recent years between these 
groups emphasizes their apparent inter-fertility. ~The Ameri- 
canas are Satisfactorily inter-fertile—simply a matter of placing 


in adjacent rows varieties which bloom simultaneously. . The * 


same is also true of the Miner group, while Americanas and 
Miners are reliably inter-fertile. This is especially satisfac- 
tory, inasmuch as these two groups constitute our chief plum 
reliance in central and northern Iowa. 
6b. Blessoming Records. —In order that we may put into 
practical operation the recommendations made above, we 
should know the approximate 
flowering period of each variety. 
This period will vary somewhat 
with the seasons, so that data 
based upon the observations of a 
single season may not be accepted 
as reliable. The fact that varie- 
ties behave differently from year 
to year further emphasizes the de- 
sirability of continued and dupli- 
cating observations. With the 
kind co-operation of a few fruit 
growers, whose assistance we take 
this opportunity of acknowledging, 
the work of recording the flower- 
Hig? 6 ing period of plums and other 
Showing the plump rounded fruit fruits was commenced in this state 
buds, /, with leaf scar and leaf buds at 7. last year. The season was abnor- 
malin many respects. April being cold, the opening of blossom 


buds was retarded; but the sudden accession of high tempera-. 


- tures in the fore part of May hurried and compressed into a 
comparatively few days the usual blossoming period. The 
plum records are however submitted in the belief that while 
not accurate, they are at least indicative; they also mark some 
progress made in this. good work. It will be observed that 
the records are ararranged in a somewhat natural order, begin- 
ning at the south line of the state and working northward. 


6681 “VMOI ‘SGAOOAA DNIWOSSOI9 WN'Id 


PLUM BLOSSOMING RECORDS, IOWA, 1899. 


APRIL MAY 
LOCALITY | VARIETY CLASS ome OI Be Tiga apie eM baat 45 
27/28/2930 1121314/5161] 7] 8] 9 {10)11/12/13}14]15|16)17/18}19}20}21|22|23)24 25) ° 
| | 
\ChasmDowiins fesse Wildgoose ---- | 
|DeSoto ..-------------- Americana ---- | | 
Corning, \|Hawkeye wa ean enn e- do iy ahs | 
Adams Co. |Miner ----------------- Miner -----.-.- 
Stoddard .-------.-.--- Americana ---- | 
Wild SOGSEree-- cee ee Wildgoose. ---- 
(Harly Red<22--2--=----| Domestica we: | | | 
Aitkin --..-- ---------- Nigtaves 2s | | | 
| Weaver ---------------- Americana --- | | | | | 
DeSoto ---------------- do See | | | 
IWS OOSE<.- dskeaeee Wildgoose- ---. 


| 
‘ Wolf.--------------- y-| Americana ---- by Ws BR ie | 
Glenwood, MANETS ceiacs -.-2---' Miner Aan: ch Womens | | | | | 
Mills Co. | j | | 


SHIDPerieridescecseeea MOmesticawes: 


Poolewerdey:-oseenee- Wildgoose. --- | | | | 
|\Stoddard -----. -------- Americana ---. | | | | | 
PAU AN aI ER ers Py, ee do Mee. || | ‘ 
|Harly Red--.--.-------- Domestica --- | | 
|\Communia --~----.-..-. do Lae. | | | 
| | (he | | 
| Py | 
| Cheney ---------------- IND orate coca Wien | | | 
| Miner -.--------------- Miner 2 -2ee care ncsmenesasaomer mee sects | | 9 
|Weaver-_ ..-.----.----|Americana-..-| | | cremate arsenn | | | | 
Adel, iWyant-eeeeec yaa eal do dene aay | | | al Be 
| | | | 
| 


Dallas Co. tod Gata em ss. Beopcee. do ER ae ae -_ ag | a 
Kars ip cuauecuncagim | Me tat om Up eeerarne os ne | | 
| | ee | | en 


, DESOtO mse ae eee do ee | a Ba | 
| 


Wald eposemereec ee.) Wildgoose-.-.. | eee eee oo oo aloe | 
| | | | | 
Grinnell, he * |Miner ENERO Tey ee ee ea Miner BVA iret ales | 
Pow eshiek Co. Wolf EE EPS em a re | Americana | | | | | | | 
| | | | be Pas 1a eal | 
| ae Se ete ea eM ite | Ne via 
|Harly Red.-------.----|Domestica --- | | ioutt ia] | | | | Iai 
Tipton, |Communia --------- --| do au | ok | | 
Cedar Co. |Miner ------.--------- |Miner ----- eel Mh | Ln | a hey | ie 
Pysaehok ee ee CP at setecn eke Onl a) © AREER ene. ieee | | a 
WOT fe oe ie tee ae es = do wee | sienna soma i, Hele ai | ety ane | 
| | ‘on Be PS oe ae eh ie Lav. aed | | | 
| | | | ‘he 
(Ogon (on Sand Cherry)|Japan -------- i 
|Wyant ( do )| Americana ----| | 
|Rollingstone | do pan Gi | | 
| (on Myrobalan) | | 
|DeSoto do St | | 
(on Myrobalan)| | A | 
Relebnohenlee soenos soos so: MVGitie tie sees eee | | | | 
|Rockford --.---------- |Americana --- al | 
Ames, Stoddard - --------- | do nies eat | 
Story Co. Wyant (on own roots) | do aoe | | 
\COmmOLt ees s- Bese ee pee do Bee ts al | 
\Snooks ---- ---- Sea do --- | | | 
‘Milton ------ -- ++ --- |Wildgoose | Hil | 
| Wolf (on Sand Cherry)|Americana ----| | Re | 
|/Rarly Red ( do )\Domestica --- | | 
| Hawkeye-- .---------- |Americana --- | | | | 
|Bixby - (peewee ee do | | 
\Chas Downie === 252. 'Wildgoose.---- | | | 
1PeVOMEMPIPMGKS send Sesane | do | | | 
| | | | 
\DeS Oto a= tea aeces /Americana.__. a 
‘ WISBIER - occas asada away do aed oa | | 
Mapleton, x MIMIct Ta @ sleet eye een tes Miter vet ie | | 
Monona Co. (Comfort® eae 4. ee Americana bee | | 
Shipper Pride-_-----=-- iDomestica --- | | | 
lelehanbeNe soe 2a sae koe. IWGinGirczea. | Be 
| | | 
Cheney ..---- ----- eee Nieracscs = 4 
Comfort ---------------|Americana pa | 
Correctionville, CS OLG Paseo aoe 4 do id eke | 
Woodbury Co. BViOUi UE pee eee ec do | 
eta Wilt@yieG = eects = = ersaH do aye | 
Aue nl Se piri Nie tb | dio | 
pieiG bates 34a he area ee IManerisese 202 ey | 
| ft W 
KOHGNCy aaa a yee aa ey Nigtataes ese. | | | 
(Rollingstone --2--22-- WAniericana ssn 9 | | 
Miner - ---------------- Miner | | | | 
(\ComiCrte == = a Ha gscn) Pioeraloznael os - | 
HRT einyalcie yi ees = ee eee do : | | 
Dubuque, Stoddard ----.----. .-- do a at | ve 
Dubuque Co, |Bixby------- ---------- | do Bee | 
Bes hee eae ee do | | 
Snooles Seen sees oes do AS | 
| Wyant------. ---------. | do ae : | | 
IslehasbaKeie -2ocge sede ce se INMiitet ee eeaeey — | | 
IWild@Oeser ates anaas Wildgoose. ---. ch ht . | | 4 
Chas. Downing=.2-.->- | do ee, Be Re | — | 
| ee: Be a | | | | 
| : . | A | | | | | | | | | 
|Aitkin----------------- WWigte ose | | | 
| Cheney .--------------.| do es a | | ee MEO NEN 
ksweoyelelavte) coe h Se Sacde (Americana cession ad. laid | La | | 
\Rollinetomermses-= eee | do Be aad | | : E | 
Hawkeye tase. eae do Reet Fae eee iy | a — 
iReockford =. 2e=se22oe n= do : oe Beh! eat 
s+ Pa WVSBIWSIP so beos ase sadsee do 5 | 
PROS ETE Dee ee DeSoto tes psees aes | do ee | | Boe EE 
sHena Vista Cowal fe) posh ee yk fa, da ae | | lee | aay sonoma 
PWAWEW ON gees Sue = eee do aE | | | aie a 
\Comfort. ------2: <= abe) do Wek | | | Te os 
Bixbyaseaee os eae ees do Unc | ie 
(Milton. 22 see. seo. A-ea| Wilde oose.-.- 
Karly Red-.----.-----.|Domestica ---- | | | coe ec 
|Hamimer ---- ----- ---- WiGtetsig 4554 45 40- | | 
VE Or aee see Gra tomate PO Ae vey eae Sekt A ous | 
| | | 
| e | | 
4 ISLOCGaiG fener sere |Americana -.--- | 
Forest City, inl fotcd fice teeeae en | an Pree Be EE ES 
Winnebago, CO. /Hammer .-- ---------- Wiser st.uc.2t a ams atnnaeom 
Chas, Downins.=-------|Wildso0ses.--- Rel 


241 


¢. Pollination Table.—A very useful piece of work has 
just been published by Waugh ! in the form of a table of rec- 
ommended pollenizers. This table includes 182 varieties of 
plums of Japanese and native types and suggests the most 
likely varieties to pollenize them. We have selected from 
this comprehensive list 38 of the more important varieties 
frem an Iowa standpoint, and have placed them in the sub- 
joined list. It should be remembered that the records upon 
which this table is based were collected in Maryland; and 
while it is possible that data drawn from home sources might 
lead to a somewhat different arrangement, yet we think it of 
sufficient value to present it in this connection. It may be 
profitable to compare it with the Iowa records previously pre- 


sented: 


VARIETY. 


GROUP. 


RECOMMENDED POLLENIZERS. 


Abundance , | Japanese Burbank, Red June, Satsuma. 
Aitkin Nigra Burbank, Cheney. 

American Eagle | Americana | Hawkeye, Wyant, DeSoto. 
Burbank Japanese Abundance, Satsuma, Red June. 
Champion Americana | Hammer, Miner. DeSoto. 

Cheney Nigra Forest Garden, Hawkeye, DeSoto. 
Comfort Americana | American Eagle, Hammer. 
DeSoto Americana | Hawkeye, Rollingstone. 

Downing (Chas) Wildgoose | Pottawattamie. 

Forest Rose Miner Miner, Hammer. 

Forest Garden Americana | Stoddard, American Eagle. 

Gold (Terry) Americana | Stoddard, Forest Garden. 

Golden Beauty Wayland Wayland, Moreman. 

Hammer Americana | Miner, Moreman, American Eagle. 
Hawkeye Americana | DeSoto, Weaver, Cheney. 

Kelsey Japanese Satsuma, Ogon. 

Mankato Americana | Forest’Garden, Miner, Hammer. 
Milton Wildgoose | Newman. 

Miner Miner Hammer, American Eagle, Forest Rose. 
Missouri Apricot | Wayland Golden Beauty. 

Moreman Wayland Miner, Wayland, Golden Beauty. 
Newman Chicasaw Wildgoose, Clifford. 

Noyes Miner Miner, Prairie Flower. 

Ocheeda Americana | Rollingstone, Weaver. 
Pottawattamie Chicasaw Whitaker, Indian Chief. 

Red June Japanese Burbank, Satsuma, Abundance. 
Reed Wayland Wayland, Golden Beauty. 
Rockford Americana | American Eagle, Wyant, DeSoto. 
Rollingstone Americana | Weaver, Minnetonka. 

Satsuma Japanese Burbank, Abundance, Red June. 
Surprise Miner Miner, Forest Rose. 

Silas Wilson Americina | American Eagle, Hammer. 
Stoddard Americana | Forest Garden, Hammer. 

Weaver Americana | Rollingstone, DeSoto. 

Whitaker WildgoasSe | Newman. 

Wildgoose Wildgoose | Newman, Smiley. 

Wyant Americana | American Eagle, DeSoto, Hawkeye. 
Wolf Americana | Stoddard, American Eagle. 


1. Rept. Vt. Experiment Station, 1899, p. 197. 


3 


d. Hardy and Tender Fruit Buds.—In connection with an 


investigation carried on last spring 
designed to gain an idea of the 
prospective plum crop, some in- 
teresting data were secured bear- 
ing upon the relative hardi- 
ness of the fruit buds of’ many va- 
rieties of Japanese, European,and 
native plums. In response to a 
request addressed to fruit growers 
through the press a large amount 
of fruit bearing plum wood repre- 
senting a wide range of varieties 


was received. This was carefully 
examined mainly by Mr. J. Sex- 
ton, late foreman of the Depart- 
ment of Horticulture, 


Fig-7 
GLASS, Domestica. 
Buds rounded yet sharply ‘pointed; 
scales large; buds tender. 


SHOWING EFFECT OF WINTER OF 1898-99 UPON FRUIT BUDS OF THE 
_ SAME VARIETIES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE. 


Per Cent 
Injured 


ue) 

‘e 7) 

VARIETY, CLASS. RECEIVED FROM. 2% 

Be 

AR 

Abundance -.-_.. Japanese --..| B. D- Herrman, Sigourney —=5) 9a 
Be CUR eh ate “22 FeO. Harrington, Y ark sCenteryeao 

So ge aah Wee ee 1S. Gee Brown, Onsbow = Sooo ae II 

: tet Mi? ew sG0ree” SOMMer mana see 13 

6 SaaS Serene iP oes Goat AN Oe, A Manage: Col. eee 20 

er ier ® tae Be J. C.. Bing, Ottosen:.- 2225s 4 

i eae VLU ea oe oe) Pe He GamblewAddisons2e. as I 
alley.) ae 7e 8. fig S| BD. On errman,olgourney oa | 10 
Aero a he etter Dee 3 Wi lea. FO Q. Harrington, York Centeremms 
Blue Damson- ---- Domestica— | A. Bonnell, Dover-__--_-- _.._- IO 
Bixby eee ae ee Americana -|O. A Kenyon, McGregor- ---- 15 
Blood’s Golden__- | Domestica_- | Hiram Heaton, Glendale--_-..-- 10 
Blue Moldavka. _- Hy -~ch4 Hs GamblesAddison=22 aa. 12 
Burbank jes Japanese --- | Hiram Heaton, Glendale_----- 24 
Ree etree a ._..| George Sommer, Amana ------ 21 

gs meee Ete Be RAO) Wan Harrington. York Center| 3 

‘ Rigen ot ui _-. |B. D. Herrman, Sigourney ____ | 15 

gee ae ak a ara e -..| Experiment Station, Ames.-__| 50 
Chabot-s 22> aoe gi -..| Hiram Heaton, Glendale-_-.-- | 12 
ASNeN CY seeks ee Nigrasbctie FE; B. Watson, Newton-.-2.-22 |. 9g) 
oe age A ele yee eee O. A. Kenyon, McGregor.- ---- 25° 


1. NOTE.—Mr. Harrington writes that these trees blossomed full, but failed to mature a 
crop, owing to winter injury. 


243 


VARIETY. CLASS. 
Chippewa .-..---. | Americana - 
Communia \._----- | Domestica-- 

ce ce 

Dame Aubert Yel- rH 
GN oe a 5 rig 
Pesotn.-~ 2 =. sa~k Americana 

“e ce 

ga llgSeaha aiaice 

“é 66 

| are ana one 

Le 2 a ee 6é 
Marly Redec ys. Domestica-- 

oe c¢ 

ce ce 

oy ph es ee TS | ee 

Woh Ee a Seas “ce or 
PIIWOOG_2 5 ao as os 
Forest Garden___- | Americana 
Gen. Hand s22 2 Domestica..- 
Glass Seedling ___- s Bi 

ig? ce 

; go Veer 
Green Gage. <3- Seti bf. 
idammer —._ =) Americana 
Hawkeye-_--_-.--- “ 

os Se ees Oey ee 6é 
SCE a ahh ey al oF 3 66 
Imperial Gage--_-_- | Domestica-- 
Kelsey, on Miner 
Bee yet pana tte 
meisey = 22 iS LS. AS eae 
Eg eeepc» ceo, SUT 
Lombard -_-__-_-.-- | Domestica_- 
“sé igs 
; het Ente te i 
ce ee iY oe fe ae 
Bong Dine..-—- <2. ‘ é 
Majestic Damson-_ fe te 
Maquoketa - -____- Miners Ss 
Marianna’. —- =. Marianna__- 
Pitts 2! Chicasawsks 
Milton ..----_-.-- | Wildgoose-- 
a6 “6 
ST C3 ge Miner --_--_-. 
“e ae 
Ra a a 
Minnesota. .-_-___- Domestica__ 


Mirabelle 


“ec 


ts 


Moore Arctic -_-. 


RECEIVED FROM. 


W. W. Scott, Calamus-__- 
T. H. Gamble, Addison- 
Henry Aiken, Carroll 


T. H. Gamble, Addison. ---__- 


Hiram Heaton, Glendale_____- 
Harlan Mills, St. Mary____--_- 
E. A. Goodwin, Baxter_______- 
WE. Lyman, Perry22-_22-. <_ 


G. A. Ivins, Iowa Falls______. | 


Geo. Sommer, Amana. 


T. H. Gamble, Addison-_______ 
C. F. Noe, Amana 
O. C. Kenyon, McGregor-_-___ 
G. A. Ivins, Iowa Falls 
Experiment Station, Ames___- 
W. W. Scott, Calamus 
Hiram Heaton, Glendale-_____- 
Wows Scott. Calamuse! ooo 2 
T. H. Gamble, Addison_-____-_ 
Experiment Station, Ames--_- 
Hiram Heaton, Glendale 
CaF sNoe; Amanac iio 2 
G. A. Ivins, Iowa Falls-_--+__ | 


JC rBingt Ottosen 22201 ee 
Experiment Station, Ames_-_-- 


A. Bonnell; Dover_=—-.2 2225: | 


T. H. Gamble, Addison. ____-_- 


Experiment Station, Ames-_-_._ 
F, O. Harrington, York Center 


Hiram Heaton, Glendale-_-___- 
James R. Gillis, Mt. Pleasant_- 
B. D. Herrman, Sigourney --_- 
A. Bonnell, Dover --_-_- 
W. W. Scott, Calamus 


Hiram Heaton, Glendale_____- 
W, W. Scott, Calamus -__-___- 
A. Bonnell, Dover-_-...-__._- 
Experiment Station, Ames--_-- 
T. H. Gamble, Addison. -.___- 
Experiment Station, Ames---_- 
G. A. Ivins, Iowa Falls 


Harlan Mills. St. Mary 
James R. Gillis, Mt. Pleasant_- 
Experiment Station, Ames____ 
W. W. Scott, Calamus 
Geo. Sommer, Amana-~------.. 
igigeed Meret g (OY: Way by Fe Re pea 
T. H. Gamble, Addison_--_-__ 
PCy Reese: Coming: 442 


Number 


| 


N 
GQ ur 


= Le 
NED O 


— 


—_ 


On DOD NMP OAM QDWNMh CO ONNFSWH OND 


me N 


Ne 


_ Ne 
moO DNCOW Dui vd 


me N 
NODE COs hN ON 


Examined|| 


Per Cent 
Injured. 


VARIETY. 


Moore Arctic--_-_-- 


‘6? 


Pottawattamie -_.- | 


€¢ 


b¢ 


oe 


Prunus Simoni-- Fag) 


“ec 


sey ce 


Ga Une “see 
Richland — Je. oe 


pe SL 
paratOga!. isco 
Shipper Prides 
Spanish King----- 


Stoddard: :oos: te 


Surprise 
White Nicholas__- 
WVICKSON: 2he Se 
AE Saale: Since 


‘é 


tay 


Willard Rd Ee: 


Yellow Moldavka 


“6 oe 


POSED EI. fabs Pee 


244 

ET RNS © IRS I es ane Se 3 
Fee 

CLASS. RECEIVED FROM. ae 
Domestica.. ; O. A. Kenyon, McGregor ----- | 25 
-- | B. D. Herrman, Sigourney -___ | 10 

e Jot fr Ce Bing | Ottogen saeet kee I 

‘“ ._|O. A. Kenyon, McGregor. --.:- 5 
Japanese --- | T. H. Gamble, Addison--..---- 12 
| fo ny. C. Bing ,ORosen-2oses, 22 tees 
ss | FF. O. Harringtony York-Centeri@ia 

5 __.| Experiment Station, Ames---.. 16 

| Wildgoose__ | Hiram Heaton, Glendale______ s 
« ‘© 17. M; Moore, Mt. Zion ol somes 4 
Chicasaw_--|.'..C. Réese, ‘Cormings.. ae 6 
. be oh WW od! oo OT ae ey on en 5 

( ~- | W.-H. Ross, Spauldinm aya ve 10 

. ---| Experiment Station, Ames .--| 17 
Simoni -.--- | Hiram Heaton, Glendale-_-_-- I 
((" -evees | Jantes RaGulis, Mt: Pleasant <vee 

“rp Mel Co FN oe, a Ania ees see 13 
Japanese --.| F. O. Harrington; York Center) = 3 
Domestica__ |W. W. Scott, Calamus -___.-_- i. 
io _.| A. E. Goodwin, Baxter ._---__- 6 

‘s 2, Henry Aiken, Carroll saat 23 

Lot CoF Noe, Amana. =e eee Io 

a 2. | Geo. Sommer, Amand. <_ cee 8 

rk 4-.).O. A. Kenyon, McGregor 22343 5 

us -- |B. D. Herriman, Sigourney ---- | 12 
Americana -—| E. A. Goodwin, Baxter -__-___- 3 
af -| Experiment Station, Ames.-__. | ___ 

- | Experiment Station, Ames-.-- | 21 
Domestica-_- | T. H. Gamble, Addison-_--__--- 13 
Japanese --_ | F. O. Harrington, York Center 7 
Wildgoose_ “i. Cs Reése Corning) 5 
ie s¢ Harlan Mills; St.\ Mary? 222 10 

as HY James R. Gillis, Mt. Pleasant__| 22 

2 | A Donnell Dover sees i) ea ite) 
Japanese 2.782 D, Herrman, Sigourney --_| Io 
s UG.) BREN Oe Gama na tent: soe 4 

. eet oe Harrington, York Center |i 
Americana -/| Hiram Heaton, Glendale. ____ 5 
‘: ~| J.C. Bing SOttdsen.s22 2. 

* GA. -Tvins, towa falls sce ouns 8 
ky MAREN & Kenyon, YS aaaee tik oats Mere 
‘3 _| Hiram Heaton, Glendale...___- 8 | 
. -'| Eo A. Goodwins Baxter! o)2 se tae 

t _| W. W. Scott, Calamus -__.-__. ae 49 

Bs SS GY Bing sOttosen =. > se 7 

a -| Experiment Station, Ames____| 20 
Domestica_-- | W. W. Scott, Calamus--_---__..- 3 
* -- | Henry-Aiken, Carroll... = 22 

cK .. | T. H. Gamble, Addison_.-- 2.4592 
Japanese --_| B. D, Herrman, Sigourney .--- | 12 


Per Cent 
Injnred 


245 


It should be explained that the test as to per cent injury 
was severe, inasmuch as each muitiple bud of three to five 
blossoms (characteristic of plums) was counted injured when- 
ever a single flower in the cluster was found discolored. It 
should also be stated that allowing in many cases the injured 
buds to amount to as much as 50 per cent we might even then 
expect a full crop if all the remaining buds matured fruit. In 
other words, the number of blossoms which open is often in 
excess of the capacity of the tree to set and mature fruit, and 
thinning is desirable, especially in the case of native plums. 
The tabular information is instructive from the standpoint of - 
exhibiting class characteristics, varietal differences, and the 
effect of locality upon the variety. It should be observed that 
Domesticas and Japanese rank much below natives in hardi- 
ness of fruit buds. 


246 


Il. THE VARIETY QUESTION IN IOWA. 


By means of circular letters addressed to leading fruit 
growers, the writers are enabled to give a fairly accurate pre- 
sentation of the popularity of the different. varieties of native, 
European and Japanese plums in this state. These have been 
considered from the standpoint of home use as well as from 
that of market value. In presenting these data it has been 
thought best to arrange the information geographically so that 
it may havespecial significance for each tier of counties, work- 
ing northward from the south line of the state. Table 
I shows graphically the comparative popularity of the better 
known varieties of native plums for home use and market. It 
is striking that three varieties of the Americana, DeSoto, 
Hawkeye, and Wyant, and one Hortulana, Miner, head the 
list for market and home use. The table does not include 
those mentioned less than five times for home use or market. 
Those less popular or newer varieties are combined and placed 
alphabetically in the subjoined list. It is proper to say that 
in this latter list are practically all the newer and in many cases 
really promising varieties. A rearrangement of the table five 
years hence would probably show-a change of sentiment. The 
successful range of varieties of the grade of hardiness of Wild 
Goose, Milton, Pottawattamie, and Downing is shown to run 
from the sixth tier, or somewhat north of the center of the 
state, southward, while the Americanas are pre-eminently the 
plums for the north: 


TA Bi 1; 


247 


I, NATIVE PLUMS RECOMMENDED FOR MARKET AND HOME USE, 


BEGINNING AT SOUTH SIDE OF STATE. 


TIER OF COUNTIES. 1st 


No. Answers Received. 5 


FOR MARKET. 


Poot eters 2 ee PA 
Aree ms od 2 SE yee 3 
PVCs eee cS atten ee 
NILES ee Aas sO me 
WR teeth tees y ses Pa eee Bay 
Dvildgo0se 63235. hg 
peaeest (rarden:... 2 ol Pen 
SIONCGATO So fuels 2 ee oe | 
MOOR Peeks srs oh Bae 2 
Pottawattamie 22%. 2-. ..La.] 2 
Beaver uns. es roe owe Pt 
Shas Downing. ee. pe 
MiamiIneress 220. 255 Sees I 


FOR HOME USE. 


DeSoto sees aE we 
Miner . FAC ENE: 
evant eee Se Le ae 
PAW REY Ocoee SS 
NyamroOose. 232. -k lc. 2 | 65 
5 SR Aes go Rea Ra Aero Repaid Rapin 
Porest Garden! 2222. 24.--00- I 
Potrawattanne 2422.0. 26207 2 
itiaehhG fot Oe 14s 
Piaiiet se ees Se ie 
OSS Al aa Neen IS ES 5 
Poiumestone ss2 82) fenesl | oe 
Poole Prides 2-2. CAS ey 


GEA Got ss Sy ZRII Si See NRE pe aces 


2d 


18 


Oo 


Mm eUTN 1 A ONT ONO CO 


The following list, alphabetically 


3d 


— 


[ P&B WWWM BOO 


| 
( 


— —« 
{oe es NS OoOmetmOmO Owm 


4th | 5th 
166| 37 
ign 6 
Sy. 
pela aa 
Lore 5 
Q | 2 
ge ane) 
8 I 
Ave f 
Ieee 
Dip ieee 
I aps 
to bee 
bes eos 
$a. 6 
Sele a 
ip saa | 
43 
pA 8o! 
I 5 
ae ae. 
Sey Fans 
GB ieres 
a 
De ae 
Dan ne 


6th 


2) 


8th 


— | Ne NS l’wD 


9th 


i 


mr NI WNnNWWwm 


Total 
for 
State. 


104 


arranged, includes all 


varieties mentioned by correspondents less than five times, 
either for home use or for market: 

Beatty, Bixby,- Canner, 
Cheney, Dewey, Etts, Fairchild, Forest Rose, Garden King, 
Gaylord, Gaylord Golden, Gen. Grant, Golden Beauty, Gol- 
den Queen, Guilford No. 2, Guilford No. 4, Haag, Hybrid 
No. 5, Ida, Illinois Ironclad, Isabelle, Jones, Keith, Lillie, 
Lottie, Madam Leeds, Maquoketa, Nellie Blanche, Never 
Fail, New. Ulm, Noyes’ Seedling, Peachleaf, Poole Pride, 
Pearl, Prairie Flower, Quality, Robinson, Rockford, Rolling- 
stone, Smith Red, Speer, Sunset, Wagner No. 5, Wayland, 


Whitaker. 


Champion, 


Chas. Downing, 


248 


SUMMARY OF TABLE IJ.—A study of Table II and a com- 
parison of it with Table I brings home the conclusion that the 
Domesticas are much less popular—and rightly so—than the 
Americanas. It will be seen that no variety of the Domesti- 
cas is recommended more than 29 times. while the aggregate 
number of varieties suggested is much less than in Table I, 
where the leading native kinds receive almost double that 
number of votes. Lombard, a favorite commercial Domestica 
in the east, heads the list here also. In the supplementary 
list containing the names of those recommended less than five 
times are a number of varieties some of which were intro- 
duced by the Iowa Agricultural College, but in the main the 
commoner kinds of eastern Domesticas predominate. The 
table shows that Domestica and Japanese plums are practic- 
ally uncultivated, except in the four southern tiers of counties. 
Of Japanese, Burbank and Abundance lead in popularity, they 
being the only varieties receiving over five votes. 


TAB Eat: 


2. EUROPEAN ‘AND JAPANESE PLUMS FOR MARKET. AND HOME USE. 


Pa Hi "|, Total 
TIER OF COUNTIES. lst 2d | 3d | 4th | Sth [6th | 7th /8th 9th for 
; State 
No. of Answers Received. 5 18 23 16 7 It} lich eae 
| 
as 
EUROPEAN, MARKET. | 
Lombards. --227-2 ee 44 8 boo) batol a hee 
Green Gage -------5--: -4--| 2°] § [27 |. -.5| -22|3e-| -- 2) oe 
Mate ecb Ea Ss Te eh ete Tet | leet re 
Moore: “Arcticz2 ee Pole gh) 34Pur eS 
Blue Damson- 22.42 eee salar Gish ge ant nae eee 8 
Communia 2222452 ea LEAR Wy | [ PBF) 0S; Peale a che 5 
EUROPEAN, HOME USE. | 
Lombard 512s te eee 33) 42 | See 
sreen ‘Gape.t 23 hee eee, 2.103 [x So Peet 2 ee le 
Blie Damson 222250 EP yy nes Ra oe) See 6 
Watge i238) eo- pS FEN) a Ae nee ee 5 
JAPANESE, MARKET. 
Burbank: J2 302.0. 0 soles Ht neaeee G3) Sea tC ar 
Abundance, 3.2225 820. 225M 2 A OT pean ot ea ee | ee 
JAPANESE, HOME USE. . 
Burbank 20-20 cele ag Soh Vane a Tele ted) ee 
Abundance te 225 Uerlc be ey. 2G lo ages oer cee a 


The following is a list of European and Japanese plums 
both for home and market use, receiving less than five votes: 


249 


European:  Blood’s Golden, Bradshaw, Communia, 
Deaton, Early Red, Early Red Seedling, English Seedling, 
German Prune, Glass Seedling, Golden Gage, Hudson Gage, 
Hungarian Prune, Imperial Gage, Mirabelle, Moore Arctic, 
Moldovka, Richland, Spanish King, Spaulding, Voronesh 
Purple, Vorenesh Yellow, Washington, Yellow King. 


Japanese: Botan, Chabot, Golden, Normand, Ogon, 
Orient, Wickson, Willard. 


ANALYSIs 7 Ob TABLES aL AND IT. 


The following analysis of the foregoing tables is, we 
trust, pertinent and useful. By referring to the proper county 
list, a resident of any portion of the state wishing to know 
what varieties have been most successful in that locality may 
obtain the best information based upon actual experience, 
obtainable, at the present time. The variety question is always 
a difficult one. A variety may be entirely satisfactory in one 
orchard and practically worthless a mile away. This suggests 
the thought that conclusions relative to the success of varieties 
in different regions based upon analagous reasoning are not en- 
tirely reliable. Neither are generalizations based upon averages 
to be blindly followed: yet this is the best that can be done. It 
is much wiser to accept the home evidence offered by the suc- 
cess of varieties already under test, than that. winningly set 
forth by glowing circulars published a long distance from the 
planter. Wetrust that beginners in fruit growing will consult 
these lists before placing their orders. We would not dis- 
courage the planting of untried varieties, but this work should 
be confined to an experimental basis. 


3. VARIETIES OF PLUMS RECOMMENDED BY FRUIT GROWERS 
FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE. 


First Trer of counties, consisting of the counties 
of Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, 
Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren and Lee. 5 answers. 


Native, market. 


Wildgoose_---5 DeSoto ----.--- AMIN Gr es 1) WLIILON = eect D 
Pottawattamie 2 Hammer--_----- Tat W. Vanlece so - oon I 


Native, home use. 


Wildgoose_---5 Miner ---- ----- 3 DeSoto:---.-...2 Pottawattamie -2 
ForestGarden_1 Milton --.- ----1 Hawkeye ------ I 


4 


Domestica, market. 


acvet 4 


250 


Green ea a2 


Domestica, home use. 


Lombard ...---3 
Imperial Gage-1 


Fapan, market. 


Green Gage---_-2 


Abundance ---2. Burbank ----_--- 2 
Fapan, home use., 
Burbank -_-- -- 3 Abundance -_--2 


Moore Arctic_-_-1 Richland -_-__- I 
Blue Damson-_-1 Richland --_--~- I 
WaAickSO yee I 325 eee 
Ogon ..--2...--2 Red@jnmes a I 


SECOND TIER of counties, consisting of the counties of Mills, 


Montgomery, Adams, 


ello, Jefferson, Henry, Des Moines, Louisa. 


Native, market. 
Wildgoose ---10 
Wyant... 254 7 
Poole Pride_-__2 
Pottawattamie I 


Native. home use. 


MadameLeeds 1 I 


Domestica, market. 


Lombard - .---8 
English Seed- 

ling acces 
Hudson Gage_! 
Washington__-_1I 


Minera see 
Hawkeye ....--6 
Stoddard 2.4.» 2 
W Gaveriecss tol 
Miner s264 bese 9 
Hawkeye ------4 
Dewey 24 55 Al 
Milton 22 et. I 


Blood Golden -_-1 
Bradshaw--_-_--_- I 
Moldavka _ -__-1 


Domestica, home use. 


Green Gage-_--3 
Blood Golden -1 
Communia —_--! 


Fapan, market. 
Abundance ---4 
Fapan, home use. 


Abundance __.2 
Wickson-.__~-- I 


THIRD TIER of counties, 
Pottawattamie, 
Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington and Muscatine. 


Native, market. 


DeSoto: - 222 13 
IW olf); Goce s sag 
Milton -_-- .._- 3 
iCithy peste oe? 
Cnerleye ee sat 


Hilie = ese ear 
Prairie Flower_1 


Lombard 
Karly Redin.2. I 


Burbank 


Cass, Adair, 


Hawkeye --__- 13 
Wy ants Soon eee 
Pottawattamie -3 
Maquoketa -.-- y 
Forest Rose ---t 


Nellie Blanche- 
Rockford 


JC Ould eee 


Milton 2t..% oh 


Wyaritsiee ce sae 7 
Poole Pride .---4 
Hammer che. 
Stoddards ya. 


Moore Arctic_-3* 


Communia _-__-1 
Richland=.227c< I 


Blue Damson-_-2 


Richland 22a 
enADOl.2-eaeeee ds 
Chabot :cc2se ct 


Union, Clarke, Lucas, Monroe, Wap- 
18 answers. 


Wildgoose -- --- 6 
Pottawattamie -3 
Idaiics Sarees I 


Farly Red-_ .--1 


Moore Arctic_-2 


Voronesh==.2-= I 
Red‘ Jane=-eS I 
Red. fine yaaa I 


consisting of the counties of 


Madison, 


Minér .26o 2 eat 
Forest Garden__5 
Stoddard - ------ 3 
Robins oe se 2 
Illinois Ironclad 1 
Peachleaf-___--_1 


Warren, 


Marion, 
23 answers. 


Wildgoose *---41 
Chas. Downing-4 
Golden Beauty-2 


Bixby-< eee 1 
Jones) 2.25 I 
Poole Pride-_--1 
Wayland -+.--. I 


Se ee Oe ee ee ee 


Native, home use. 


DeSoto ----=-- 15 
Hawkeye ----- 5 
ptoddard:=--"_3 
Pie sone. s——T 
Hammer----_-- I 


Maquoketa - --1 
Prairie Flower_1! 


Domestica, market. 


Lombard - ----9 
Moore Arctic--3 
English Seed- 
Mriore ec 
Spanish King--1 


251 


Minerecorces Io 
Pottawattamie —5 
Golden Beauty.2 
Golden Queen--1 
Illinois Ironclad 1 
Peachleaf-___-_-_- I 
Rollingstone -_-1 


a 


Green Gage-_--7 


Hungar’nPrune 2: 


Glass Seedling-1 
Spaulding - ---..1 


Domestica, home use. 


Green Gage----5 
PE AUE Cs oo So ak 2 


Moore Arctic ...- - 


Fapan, market. 
Abundance ---7 
Willard, 42257. I 

Fapan, home use. 
Abundance ---4 


Blue Damson -_-3 
English Seed- 


finger ess 5 I 
Durbanken.. =5. 6 
BUDA Kee =. 4 


Wildgoose -.---9 
WY oli oe nee 5 
Mio we cl. eee 
Forest Garden -__1! 
Isabela 21 
Pearl 23322471 


Blue Damson-_-5 
Richland 


Imperial Gage-1 


Lombard 
Golden Gage--_1 


Wyant. 232 9 
Chas. Downing-3 


Cannet Mepis I 
Forest Rose____1I 
Lottie te 2a w ees 


Poole Pride ____1 


TFaige 2c eres 
Communia .-.-! 
Moldavka----_-1 


Spanish King--2 
Imperial Gage-1 


FourTH TIER of counties, consisting of the counties of 
Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, 


Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, and Scott. 


answers. 


Native, market. 
Desoto 2222. 15 
Hawkeye ---- 8 
Chas. Downing I 


Newline rr, 


Pottawattamie I 


Native, home use. 


DeSoto 
Hawkeye --_-- 4 
Hybrid No. 6--1 
VVeaver in. so53 I 


Domestica, market. 


Lombard ~-.---5 
Early Ked=--1 


Mivantes 22. 10 
Miner*. 32-3 8 
Hammer-_--_-_--- I 


Domestica, home use. 


Lombard 
Mirabelle 


----- 4 
ard 


Burbank-__-_-__- 3 


Fapan, home use. 


Burbank.-..----4 


W yantisseede 12 
stoddardicc i222 3 
Milton =2--<- aot 
Wolfers see ee I 
Deatone —2= 22. 3 
Moldovka - --_--I 
Deaton’ =+2 322-1 3 
Moldavka ----- I 
Abundance --_--2 
Abundance __-_-z 


Wolf 
Stoddard 
Hybrid No. 6--1 
Sunset 


Forest Garden.7 
Hammerini ts 2 
Sunsetc: ue 2 
Communia -_ -2 


Moore Arctic--! 


Bradshaw!..2.. I 
Voronesh Yel- 
low. 


ee | 


16 


Forest Garden_8 
Wildgoose - -_-- 3 
Milton ___-_ 
Weaver __-_-_ _- I 


Miner yadsae AS 6 
Wildgoose- --_- 2 
Wagner No. 5--1 


Bradshaw-_-_-.-I 
Tate Goce See et 
Communia -___-1I 
Wickson-s-2-- I 


252 


FirtH TIER of counties, consisting of the counties of 
Monona, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, 
Tama, Benton, Linn, Jones and Jackson. 7. answers. 

Native, market. , 


DeSoto piesa Go Millers: serene 6 Wyant-....- me Hawkeye -_--~- -4 
Wildgoose ----3. Whitaker -____- ZEW Ole ees Beatty 23408522 I 
Champion ---1 Fairchild ----_- 1 Forest Garden - G Noyes Seedling -1 
Smith Réd- 221s tegdard sane I sae Bs 82 ooh! 2 el 
Native, home use. 

Wesoto es OW Olt ea: eee 5.’ Wyant-.---222-4° Hawkeye saaeee 3 

Viner 2. che 3. Beatty -.-......2 Forest Garden.2 Whitakereezec- 2 

Wildgoose ----2 Champion - ----1 Chas. Downing-1 Fairchild ------ I 

Hammer 22225 1 NoyesSeedling-1' Smith Red_,_-: “1  Waylandicae ge I 

Weaver-ceir Sk has en eee ee oem ltl ee eee 
Domestica, market. 

CommuniavesaL * Lompard:22222 I. Fatge-.<2 25:21... 
Domestica, home use. 

Communia +221 ;Mirabelle.-.- . 2 1 “Richland se 1 + Tatge eee zy 
Japan, market. t 

Abundance ---1 Burbank- -___-_- 1 Chaboeeeer.-o ts 1 Normand ------ I 

Orient cc esee Tbe (2 Ue ee =~ pwek + eee 
Fapan, home use 

Botan i sse* Is Durbanki sare y |. Chabot =. J22-_ 17) Norman eee I 

Orient 2.3821) 2 tosses 


S1xTH TIER of counties, consisting of the counties of 
Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, 
Grundy, Blackhawk, Buchanan, Delaware and Dubuque. I1 
answers. , 


Native, market. 


Desoto'taeitee Ga Ninethspoae ee 6+ Wolf: -...1.2_6 “Hawkeyeueeens 

Wyant: 222255 "Weavers 4 Forest Garden-2 Rollingstone ---2 

Stoddard ----- 2 Guilford No. 2 1 Guilford No. 4-1 Wildgoose - ----1 
Native, home use. ) 

DeSoto2e-- C7 e Miner eee OV alt eae 5 Hawkeye ------4 

Forest Garden 32 Weaver_22320-— 3 Stoddardeaal - 2 Wildgoose-----2 

Wioiiioeee ee 2 Guilford No. 2-1 Guilford No. 4.1 Milton ---- ---- I 


Rollingstoné=_i 222. 2 ieee ioe a ee) 
Domestica, market. 


Blue Damson-1 German Prune_1 Glass Seedling-1 Lombard ~--~-- I 
Late oho Te A ee, SRE le eS 0 a ee oe pee er 
Domestica, home use. 
Early Red German~*Prune-1 Lombard ~__--_-- 1 “Tatge eee I 
Seedling__1 
V oronesh<: ¥ elie Sitar ee an sclica tiga ate oJ» Sao 
lowads So I 
Fapan, market. 
_ Burbank ---__- 4°. Abundance’... 3° Golden.2seae V) Ogon see I 


Fapan, home use. 
Abundance'.--1 Burban'_--__-- 1 Golden !ve-22-1  .Ogon eee I 


” Sea? > oe 
“ Jt er 


953 
SEVENTH TIER of counties consisting of the counties of 
Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Humboldt, 


Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, and the south half of 
Fayette and Clayton. II answers. 


Native, market. 


Petes Or DeSoto: 3 a0 WW Yat ney oe Gutlawkeyer...c 5 

2 ee Sr orest Gardens bixby ee oe 2s tie ROCKIONds. 2! 

ESCO OIE CoS © LMS eae Bly Ok si we Pay A, Nel DO Nog a a eee AOE, 0 GE ic 
Native, home use. 

DESOW antiein OW yant a2" 252 Gyo Minérsc see 5 Forest Garden -3 

Hawkeye ----- Bok ROMs stone 2.22.5: Bixby ie wpa heney, ase 

BOCCh .22 1. Wa VVOle ony a kN AaDN ee hist 9 RRMA A eae, (pe Hy 


Domestica, market. 
Green Gage=*-1;.Lombard —---_- To Moore's ‘Aretie:F? 22.0552 iek 


Domestica, home use. 
Lombard ----- tu plate Geen es. Ie, Mee Wo WOK Ti igs Pate Oars 


Fapan, market. 
Rit renee Foe a Ek ps pmo aS De CO IN rl ei AP Ze BAD 


Fapan, hone use. 
Riv Oi ess -eteedy 1 katte ede tp e BAe eh tn er Ee ee ep et ee 


E1cutTu Tier of counties, consisting of the counties of 
Sioux, O’Brien, Clay, Palo Alto, south half of Kossuth, all 
of Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Floyd and Chickasaw, the north 
half of Fayette and Clayton, and the south half of Winni- 
shiek and Allamakee. 7 answers. 


Native, market. 


Ramer 2924-24 sJCSOtO.o. 4-2 — ae Hawkeye: sa." SOU OL es eee of 
Forest Gardeni Forest Rose.---1 Gaylord -. ..-.1 Gaylord Golden 

Pisa esc. iy Never Pail-. 3-7 Oualityia cee 1 Rollingstone -_-1 
Vivant 22st 2 Pipes so meus Ga a Tas ea ee Pete ieee ie 

Native, home use. ; ; 

eortiontens 25°) WOll ise = 4 “Miner2?-20..22.37;0 Forest: Carden ct 
Forest Rose --1 Gaylord ---- si Gaylord Golden tyaitiaag rus see I 
Hawkeye 2.1 Never Fail. .--.1 Quality 22 2. -- I Rollingstone -_-1 
WV Vatibe<— - ta Shep ei ret Se OS SONI Pa ee Bee ney, Slee t 


Domestica, market. 
None recommended. 


Damestica, home use. 
Communia____I 


No Japan plums recommended. 


254 


NINTH TIER of counties, consisting of the counties of 
Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, the north half of Kossuth, 
Winnishiek, Worth, Mitchell, Howard and Allamakee. 6 
answers. 


Native, market. 


DeSoto esis: 5) “Hawkeyes a. 3 Miner ‘20. 5. 3.. Wolleeeee 3 
ForestGarden-2 Wyant-..------- Hammer... -..-.1. Rockford aes. I 
Rollingstone --1 -------- .-------  -------- --------  ---- .--- ==-+-=5- 


Native, home use. 


DeSoto. s-6s5 5 Miner .----.+--3: ForestGardent:2 | Hawkeye 2 
W yant- -xc<e 2 Hammer-.-...) “Rollingstone 2a3- 2) eee 


Domestica; market. 

Germat:Prunel. ‘Tatge..2-.--1 1-052 
Domestica, home use. 

German Prune fd aise ks els Babe oR a 
Fapan, market. 

Abundance -_-1 Burbank_-_---- I wit dden eee ee 
Yapan, home use. 

None recommnded. 


4. ENEMIES. 


a. Native Plums.—In reply to the question asking for 
an enumeration of the worst enemies, curculio is mentioned 
72 times, gouger 19, aphis 17, rot 10, black knot 1, plum 
pocket 1. The reports indicate that the severity of the attack 
and prevalence of the enemy correspond in a general way to 
the abundance of the host plant. The more plum trees the 
more enemies. Successful fruit growing means the waging of 
an incessant and successful warfare against persistent enemies. 

b. Domestica Plums.—The order of the importance 
of injurious insects differs somewhat to that given above. 
Curculio, rot, aphis, gouger, and borers represent the degree 
in which domestica plum enemies are feared. 7 

c. Japanese Plums.—With these the order again 
changes. Rot rises to first rank importance, followed by cur- 
culio, gouger and borers. 


5- CLIPPINGS FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 


a. lJowa.—! grow mostly native varieties. Fruit shipped to Minnea- 
polis and St. Paul in 24 quart cases; average gross price 1899, $1.50 per 
case.” (John F. Dayton, Waukon.) 

‘‘Domesticas and Japanese not hardy here.” (Sherman Nursery Co., 
Charles City.) 

“Wild fruit has interfered with the marketing of cultivated sorts, but 
the native grovesare mostly gone and it is now profitable to grow the 


255 


Americana varieties for sale. Markets areas yet undeveloped and no 
regular customers are established.” (Elmer Reeves, Waverly.) ; 


“The plum does best on rather low rich ground, and for best results 
cultivate them thoroughly, or mulch heavily with manure. Trimming 
should be done annually in spring before blooming.” (G. A. Ivins, Iowa 
Falls.) 


“T had Wyant plum on Marianna stocks that winter killed. I had 
Wyant plum on native plum that bore two bushels, which stood within 20 
feet of those on Marianna stocks, which killed outright last winter.”” (W. 
E. Lanning, LaPorte City.) | 


“Domestica and Japanese varieties have not proved successful.” “I 
think we had better stick to our best native plums here in the north. We 
have several now that are perfectly hardy, good bearers of good market- 
able plums of very good quality.” ~(C. W. Conner, Sac City.) 

“The Americana and some few kinds of Chicasaw plums are the only 
kinds I found hardy the past winter. I will also add that I have six or eight 
varieties of Russian plums that are entirely hardy but they are nearly 
worthless.’ (M.G. Beals, Oto.) 


“There is no money in fruiting any Domestica plums so far as I know, 
unless the season is extremely dry and cool so that we can get a crop free 
from rot. The only possible hope lies in seedlings.” “Next to our native 
I consider the Japanese varieties most profitable. I begin to have doubts 
of real success with them after my extensive trial of foreign plums. Our 
natives are the only real money makers.” (Dr. A. B. Dennis Cedar Rapids.) 


“Notwithstanding last winter’s great damage and loss of trees, we had 
here a fair crop of extremely fine plums. The Wyant, DeSoto and Miner 
were exceptionally good. When the natives under scientific culture have 
reached that point of perfection destined for them in future years, I believe 
that the Europeansand Japanese will forever passinto ‘innocuous desuetude.’”’ 
{Wm. Langham, Cedar Rapids.) 


“Of the Domesticas, Communia is the best of a long list, but we would 
not plant it extensively None of the Japs have proved sufficiently re- 
liable.” ‘The past winter’s experience settled the stock question with us. 
Neither peach, Myrobalan or Marianna are any good here.” (S. W. Snyder, 
Center Point.) , 


‘“‘While the Japs have produced an occasional crop I do not think them 
hardy enough for this state. Plums to keep well should be picked when 
well colored but before they get soft. They should be shaken from the 
tree by placing a sheet with some hay or straw under it beneath the tree.” 
(Chas. O. Garrett, Ivy.) 

“Of Russians and North Germans | have tested (from the college farm) 
something like thirty varieties, from 6 to 12 years planted and have not grown 
a perfect plum on one of them yet tomy knowledge. An utterand absolute 
failure so far on my soil. (Frank O. Harrington, York Center.) 

“Tl have never had a Domestica or a Jap that paid rent for the land for 
five consecutive years. (C. L. Watrous, Des Moines.) 


256 


“T think European plum culture should be more encouraged; the trees 
are longer lived and with us produce about as many crops as the Americana 
sorts, and the quality is much better.” (Thus speaks so good an authority 
as Silas Wilson, Atlantic.) ; 

“The plum orchard should occupy the highest ground to avoid frost. 
A portion of the orchard should receive ‘‘broadcast” cultivation with plenty 
' of manure. Another portion ought to be in sod and get cultivation immedi- 


Figure 8. TENDER AND HARDY FRUIT BUDS. (Bailey-) 


ately about the trees. Then these trees will pass such a winter as last 
winter without injury.” (B. A. Mathews, Knoxville.) 

‘‘Had about too bushels of Burbank, two years ago, but all rotted 
except Io bushels. I picked those before they were ripe.’’ (H. Stichter, 
Washington. ) 

“IT have the European and Japan plum trees -but never have got any 
plums yet because of the rot.’’ (A.C. Russell, Oakville.) 

“The plum market has been injured here by selling such varieties as 


257 
Wild Goose and Milton for cooking purposes. They are good to eat out of 
hand but unfit for cooking.” (E. L. Hayden, Oakville.) 

“The Wild Goose sold well with me the last two years and brings more 
money than other red plums in our market.” (C. E. Deuel, Washington.) 

“Natives sold readily at.$1.00 per bushel.” “Russians from Ames have 
not done well.” “The Burbank bears magnificently, and is very large, but 
when just ripening it rots.”” (Hiram Heaton, Glendale.) ° 

“The Russians that I received from the college have not borne well.” 
(F. F. Luckenbill, Huron.) 

_“T have fruited Ogon, Burbank and Abundance. They are fine plums 
but the two latter rot badly on the trees here. I find Pottawattamie and 
Miner good regular bearers. I find a good market for all I raise at the 
county seat. Wildgoose is a good bearer here.”’ (W. D. Moore, Decatur 
City.) 

6. Opinions of Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin Growers.—A 
superficial survey of the variety question was made through growers in 
some of the adjoining states. The following shows the relative popularity 
of native varieties in Nebraska, as indicated by reports received: DeSoto, 
3; Miner, 3; Wildgoose, 2; Forest Garden, 1; Milton, 1; Wolf, 1; Wyant, 1. 

“DoSoto fails on high dry hills if seasonis dry. Almost all natives bear 
fairly well here.” “Have lost faith in Japanese; they were all killed badly 
last winter; in fact they never did as well as I thought they ought.” (G. A. 
Marshall, Arlington, Neb.) 

A large number of replies were received from Minnesota; these con- 
densed make a somewhat different showing. 

DeSoto, 16; Wyant, 10; Rollingstone, 9; Surprise, 8; Hawkeye, 7; Wolf, 
7; Stoddard, 5; Miner, 4; Weaver, 3; Aitkin, 2; Forest Garden, 2; Mankato, 
2; New Ulm, 2; Ocheeda, 2; American Eagle, Black Hawk, Comfort, Cott- © 
rell, Decker’s Late, Gaylord, Hammer, Jones, Leudloff Seedling, Piper, 
Silas Wilson, and Wood, 1 each. Wildgoose and Milton drop out. 

“Have tried Lombard, Green Gage, and the Russians. They will not 
endure the climate. I do not consider the fruit superior to the native 
plums.” “With me the Japs went the same way the Europeanfdid. No 
good in this climate.’’ (J. C. Hawkins, Austin, Minn.) “Europeans and 
Japanese too tender for this climate.’ (John P. Andrews, Faribault.) 

“T have had Moore Arctic and Swedish Yellow Egg for fifteen years; 
they have fruited two years; I call them worthless here.” “I have sold all 
the plums I have had to sell here on the farm, as there are very few that 
raise any.” “Wyant, DeSoto, New Ulm, Stoddard, Hammer, Hawkeye, 
Rockford and Aitkin are entirely hardy here. Pottawattamie, Wolf, Forest 
Garden, Weaver, Quaker, Esther, Sophie, and Marcas winter killed more 
or less here last winter.”” (Erik Anderson, Lake Park.) 

‘“T do not consider Domesticas or Japanese hardy;,with us.” (J. Wood, 
Windom.) 

“T have the Early Red, (Russian) in quite good condition.” (Martin 
Penning, Sleepy Eye.) 

“We find plums do best on light soil.” (J. M. Underwood, Lake City.) 


5 


258 


“T find the plum one of the most profitable fruits | grow; always in 
good demand at home and abroad. Trees come into bearing early, are 
very productive, and people want them.” ‘I have no time or money to 
spend on anything but the best improved native varieties. They are good 
enough for me and my customers, while the European, Japanese, etc., are 
quite sure to disappoint all planters in Minnesota.”” (A. K. Bush, Dover.) 

“The greatest drawback to successful plum culture are the nurserymen 
who work the native plums on tender stocks like Mirianna, Myrobalan, St. 
Julien, etc. It seems to be a difficult matter at the present time to get plum 
trees that have hardy roots; it is a very serious matter.” ‘‘All varieties of 
Russian plums tried here have proved worthless.” _(Dewain Cook, Win- 
dom.) 

“The Demesticas, Russians, and Japanese are not profitable in this 
section. I give them no further trial; our natives are the best for us here, 
the above being poor bearers and not hardy enough.” (Chas. Leudloff, 
Cologne.) 

“Tombard, Domesticas, and Russians, winter kill.” (O. M. Lord, Min- 
nesota City.) 

“No Europeans of commercial value. Russian trees still looking well 
here after 8 years trial.” (Clarence Wedge, Albert Lea.) 

‘‘EKuropean plums not reliable here. Have not seen any first class Rus- 
sians here. No Japanese have fruited with me.” (J. S. Harris, LaCrescent.) 

‘‘Have tried some of the imported plums. No success with any, worth 
mentioning.” (E. H.S. Dartt, Owatonna.) 

A. Norby, Madison, S. Dak., recommends the following: . Wolf, Wy- 
ant, New Ulm, Odegard, Rockford. Healso says: ‘‘DeSoto, grafted, sets 
too much fruit and runs small. Wolf isa better market plum here, freer 
from insects, and a more lasting tree.” ‘Several varieties of the Russians 
have all proved very near a complete failure.” 


259 


Il. VARIETY MENTION. 
JOHN CRAIG. J. J. VERNON, 


The object of presenting the following notes is mainly 
twofold. 1. To encourage the work of hybridizing and of 
seed planting among professional and amateur fruit growers. 
A superficial survey of the historical notes appended in most 
cases to each variety show—the work of Terry excepted—that 
the great bulk of our improved Iowa varieties of native plums 
have originated accidentally. Such remarkable results with- 
out effort should encourage fruit growers to labor perseveringly 
in this promising field. 2. To record briefly those varieties 
worthy of mention, the most of which have come under our 
notice during the year, samples of the fruit having been sent 
to this office. The varieties are arranged alphabetically with 
the name of the group immediately following the variety 
name. The list, by no means complete, includes a few of 
the leading varieties of the principal types now recognized by 
plum specialists. The purpose of the bulletin is chiefly to 
encourage the: planting of those kinds which our own experi- 
ence and that of the best fruit growers of the state show to 
be best adapted to Iowa. The amount of space at our dis- 
posal will allow of only a brief mention in each case. 
Varieties are described from specimens grown at the station 
or received at the office except when otherwise credited. The 
name of the group to which the variety belongs is given in 
italics and immediately follows its name; synonyms are 
italicised and bracketed. | 

The writers in drawing attention to new and as yet unin- 
troduced kinds, wish to disclaim any desire to recommend 
them unreservedly or even suggest that they are worthy of 
propagation. There is no doubt that many worthless varieties 
are offered every year aS being improvements upon the old, 
yet their value cannot be determined without trial. There 
are also many personsto whom the testing of an untried vari- 
ety is areal enjoyment. These varieties are offered, therefore, 
on behalf of the enthusiastic amateur as well as the strict 
commercialist. . 


260 


ABUNDANCE, 7apanese. 

Medium to large roundish oblong, often unequal sided; color yellow, 
shaded with coppery and bright red. Flesh firm, meaty, juicy, yellow, 
sweet, pleasant, but not high flavored; stone smal]; cling; season early 
August. Tree thrifty, upright in habit and in this respect is readily 
distinguished from the spreading habit of Burbank. This is the most 
popular of the early Japanese plums. 


Fig. 9—AITKIN. 


Ria ee 
ADMIRAL SCHLEY, Americana. 


Fruit, very large; round oblong; covered with bright red; bluish bloom; 
cling; excellent quality; ripe August 2 to Io. ‘lree healthy. (H.A., 
Terry, Crescent, [a.) 

Parentage unknown; originated under cultivation with H. A. 
Terry, Crescent, Pottawattamie Co., Iowa, in 1897; first fruit 1899. Not 
yet introduced. 


261 
AITKIN, (/fasca) Nigra. 

Fruit, large, oval, dark red; flesh yellow, fairly firm and sweet. Skin like 
most varieties of this group, thin and without astringency; pit large 
flat. Tree vigorous, leaves broad. This is probably the best early native 
plum of its size. Hansen says: “It will be between Aitkin and Odegard 
as to earliness, but I have not seen them side by side long enough to 
determine this point.”” Cranefield (Rural New Yorker Nov. 18, 1899), 
says, “the earliest of native plums to date and of fair quality, but not 
very productive. Ripened at Madison, Wis., Aug. 12, 1899.’ Goff 
says, Bulletin 63, Wisconsin Experiment Station: “Found wild in 
Aitkin Co., Minn., by D. C. Hazelton, introduced in 1896 by Jewell 
Nursery Co., Lake City, Minn.” Slight reports as to its susceptibility 
to plum pocket fungus have already been circulated. 


Fig. 10—AMES. 


AMES, (Fapanese Hybrid No.3.) Am. x Triflora. 
Fruit received from J. L. Budd, Ames, Ia., August Io, 99. Form round, 
conical; size 134 inches by 13% inches; cavity broad, shallow; stem 
stout, % to 5 of an inch; holds well to fruit; suture fairly outlined; 
apex slightly fllattened; surface smooth; color bright red; dots numer- 
ous, large; bloom pale lilac, thin; skin moderately thick, slightly acid; 
flesh light yellow, fairly firm; stone medium, nearly oval, swollen later 


262 28 


ally, very light colored, adherent to flesh; flavor sugary, rich; quality 
good to best. 

General notes: This ‘is a handsome symmetrical fruit, sug- 
gesting Augustifolia in flavor. It ought to ship,as it keeps well. I 
regard this as a valuable variety and have named it Ames. (See Reg- 
ister Dec. 3, 1899.) Produced under direction of Prof. Budd by using 
Japanese pollen on Americana. Tree vigorous and hardy, intermediate 
in character. 


ATKINS, (Beatty), Americana. MSS. Waugh. 


Fruit received from A. Snyder & Son, Center Point, Ia., September 1, 
‘og. Form irregular, oval, slightly flattened; size, 144x1%x1¥% inches; 
apex, slightly flattened; cavity, small; suture, a well defined red line; 
surface, smooth, shiny; color, yellow, overlaid with deeper red; dots, 
indistinct; bloom, thin lilac; skin, thin, acid not astringent; flesh, ten- 
der, melting, deep yellow; stone, large, flattened pointed both ends, 
partially cling; flavor, sugary sub acid; quality, best; season August Io 
to 20. 
General notes: Somewhat of Wyant type in form, but much 
superior in quality.. A fine plum without astringency of skin or acid 
about stone.- “Tree thrifty and upright.” (Royee.) Found on the 
farm of James Beatty, near Shellsburg, Benton Co., la.; probably a wild 
variety transplanted. Introduced by R. Royce, Shellsburg, Ia., about 
1894. Re-named Atkins, by Waugh, after the place of its origin, to pre- 
vent it being confused with Texas variety called Beaty—previously 
named. / 


BARABOO, Americana. 


Fruit, dull yellow overlaid with red; flesh, firm without astringency; 
good quality. Season,a little later than Cheney. Tree, thrifty, spread- 
ing, symetrical grower. Annual bearer. (William Toole, Baraboo, Wis.) 

Found growing wild near Baraboo, Wis., about 1860; introduced 
by William Toole, Baraboo, Wis., in 1897. 


\ 
BIXBY, Americana. 


Fruit, large, nearly round, light red; skin, thin and tender; flesh, mod- 
erately firm; ships well only a short distance; stone, medium to large, 
semi-cling; season Auguest Io to 20. Tree, rather spreading, free 
grower. (C. H. True, Edgwood, Ia.) 

Found wild on the homestead of Rev. N. W. Bixby, me 
Clayton Co., Ia., in 1847; introduced by C. H. True, Edgewood, lat 
1880. Highly poeatieaeean in northeast Iowa. 


BEATY, (Beaty’s Choice), Americana. 
Fruit, large, round, oblong, red-purple or red-blue; skin, medium thick; 
flesh, firm of high quality, cling; stones, broad and flat, like Weaver, 


late. Originated under cultivation in Southern Texas, by Mr. Beaty. 
See Bailey, Cornell Bulletin 38, p. 8. 


265 


BOSSLAND, Miner x Domestica and Wayland. 


Fruit, medium to large, dark red; flesh, coarse, firm, dry, partly free- 
stone; season early, September. Tree, healthy, vigorous, spreading; 
wood, dark; buds, large, round to heart-shaped; leaves, large, broad, 
thick, glossy. (Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb.) 

Originated under cultivation with Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb., 
in 1895. Hybrid between Miner and Quackenboss and Wayland. To 
be introduced spring I900. Fruit not seen by us. 


BRITTLEWOOD, Americana. 


Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, Ia., August 28, ’99. 
Form, oval round; size, 134x114 inches; cavity, shallow; stem, 3 of an 
inch; suture, wanting; apex, rounded; surface, smooth but not glossy; 
color, dark red mottled; dots, numerous, small; bloom, thick, grayish; 
skin, thick, slightly astringent; flesh, firm, meaty; quality, good; stone, 
large, flat, partly free, flavor, sharp acid. Tree, large, spreading, vig- 
orous. 

General Notes; One of the largest Americana plums seen. Origi- 
nated with Theo. Williams, Benson, Neb. From seed of Harrison’s 
peach pollinated with Quaker. These and Terry’s Free Silver were 
the handsomest specimens that came under our notice this year. In- 
troduced by J. W. Kerr, Denton, Md., 1896. Mr. Williams says 
another plum called Brittlewood originated from the same series of 
errors, except that in this case Quaker was pollinated with Harrison’s 
peach. Nearly identical, but a week later. 


BuLaH No. 4, Hortulana. 


Fruit, medium to large, dark red; ripens late; tree, vigorous, hardy, 
good foliage, bears young. (J. F. Wagner, Bennett, Iowa.) 

Originated under cultivation with J. F. Wagner, Bennett, Cedar 
Co., Iowa, in 1894, from seed of Miner; pollinated by wild plums not ° 
introduced. 


BURBANK, YFapanese. 


Large, roundish, conical; color, orange-yellow, partly covered by 
marbled blotchy red; flesh, firm, rich melting; stone, small, cling; 
season, a week or ten days later than Abundance, usually maturing 
before the middle of August. Tree, very erratic in habit of growth, 
flat-topped with decided sprawling and drooping tendencies. .Very 
productive and probably the hardiest of this class. 


‘CHAMPION, Americana. 


Fruit received from H. A. Terry, September 22, 1899. Form, oblong’ 
oval; size, 14x14 inches; cavity, medium; stem, 1 inch, slender; 
suture, barely outlined; apex, rounded, convex; surface, roughish; 
color, dull purplish red; dots, numerous, small; bloom, thick grayish 


264 


lilac; skin, thick, brittle; flesh, yellow, fairly firm; stone, oval, free; 
flavor, lacking in decided flavor; quality, fair. 

General notes: Late, but apparently not otherwise valuable. ‘‘I 
think well of Champion, it comes at a time plums are getting scarce.” 
C. L. Watrous, Des Moines. From seed of Hawkeye, by Terry, 1801. 
Introduced 1802. 


CHERRY, /Vigra. 
Flowers large, delicately shaded with pink; fruit, very large, red or 
yellow; season two weeks earlier than DeSoto. Tree, thiifty, early 
bearer. (E. Markle, La Crosse, Wis.) 

Found wild by E. Markle in Mormon ravine near Chaseburg, Ver- 
non Co., Wis., about 1870; introduced by E. Markle, La Crosse, Wis. 
Like most varieties belonging to this group it is very susceptible to the 
plum pocket disease. 


CHIPPEWA, Americana. 

Fruit, received from B. A. Mathews, Knoxville, lowa, August 23, 1897. 
Form, regular oval; size, small; cavity, wanting; stem, 44 inchto % . 
inch slender; suture, wanting; apex, pointed; surface, smooth, dull; 
color, yellowish red; dots, numerous, small; bloom, thin lilac; skin, 
remarkably tough; flesh, yellow, melting; quality, fair; stone, small 
partly free; flavor, sweetish, astringent, pleasant. 

General notes: Skin too tough to cook well; fruit too small for 
commercial purposes. : 

CHRISTIE, Americana. 
Fruit received from W. Christie, Jr., Villisca, lowa, August 20, 1899+ 
Form, round truncate: size, medium; apex, flattened; cavity, wide? 
suture, wanting; surface, smooth; color, yellow ground, covered by red; 
dots, none; bloom, light lilac; skin, thick; flesh, yellow, fairly firm, 
melting; stone, circular, thick, laterally adherent to fllesh; flavor, sweet, 
luscious; quality, best. 

General notes: Rather small, lacking in attractiveness, but ex- 
cellent in quality. A wild plum taken from the thicket by Mr. Christie 
in 1887. 

CIty, Americana. 

Fruit, of good quality, perfect freestone; season, Sept. 8to15. Tree, 
upright. when young, but with weeping tendency when older; almost 
thornless. (H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn.) 

Originated under cultivation with H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn., 
early in the eighties, from seed of large wild plum found near Spring- 
field: introdused by him in 1890. Well spoken of in Minnesota and 
South Dakota. 

COLLMAN, Afortulana. . 

Fruit, very large, nearly round, deep brilliant red, with whitish bloom; 
cling; fine quality; ripe August 20 to 25. Tree, upright, healthy; fairly 
productive. (Terry.) ; 

Parentage unknown; originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry 
in 1895; first fruit 1899; not introduced. 


965 
COMFORT, Americana. 


Fruit, received from C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, lowa, August 18, 1899. 
Form, roundish oval; size, 134x114; cavity, very slight; stem, % inch 
long; suture, an indistinct line; apex, roundish; surface slightly rough- 
ened; color, mottled purplish red; dots, large, numerous; bloom, thin 
lilac; skin, thick, tough, astringent; flesh, firm, meaty; stone, free, no 
astringency about stone; flavor, brisk acid; quality, good. 
General notes: Midseason. Tree much like Hawkeye, fruit of 
the same general type. Introduced by J. Wragg & Son, Waukon, in 


1879. 


ste esta 


COMMUNIA, Domestica. 


Fruit received from Sam’! Rose, Oskaloosa, Ia., September 2, ‘go. 
Form, oval, flattened at both ends; size, large, 15x1% inches; cavity, 
deep broad, abrupt; stem, stout, 3s of an inch; suture, well defined, not 
deeply marked; apex, flattened, somewhat depressed; surface, nearly 
smooth; color, reddish purple; dots, large gray; bloom, thin lilac; skin, 


6 


266. 


thick, fairly tough; flesh, meaty, rather stringy; stone, small (relatively) 
ridged, winged adherent; flavor, mild sub-acid; quality, poor to fair. 

- General Notes: Fruited very generally this year; undoubtedly of 
the Lombard type, but larger, lacking in high flavor. Scions received by 
Budd from a Mr. Eggerth, an officer of the German colony at Commu- 
nia, Clayton Co., Ia., eighteen years ago. Said to have been grown 
from imported seed. Widely distributed by Prof. Budd. See Lombard. 


ComPASS, P. Besseyi x P. Hortulana. 


Fruit about one inch in diameter, spherical or ellipsoid, cherry-red; pit 
elongated, a little larger than that of Sand Cherry; quality, good. 
Treé, very rapid upright grower while young, annual heavy bearer; 
foliage, large, somewhat like Sand Cherry, but much coarser; root, sys- 
tem similar to Sand Cherry; hardy; thought by many to be a valuable 
fruit. (H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn.) 

Originated under cultivation with H. Knudson, from seed of. wild 
Dakota Sand Cherry, pollinated with Miner plum, in 1891, first fruit in 
1894; introduced in 1897 by C. W. Sampson, Eureka, Minn.  Interest- 
ing, as exhibiting remarkable intermediateness of character. Hardly 
useful as a plum, but may have some value in the Dakotas. 

CRIMSON, Vigra. 
Fruit, large, 144 to 134 inches, light red, very showy; thin skin; stone, 
rather long, large, flattish; quality, good; season, earliest—last of July. 
Tree, does not sprout, blossoms very early. (H. Knudson, Springfield, 


Minn.) 
Introduced by H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn. 


CurRY, /ortulana. 


Fruit received from S. L. Curry, Weldon, Iowa, August 21, 1899. Form, 
oval, flattened laterally; size, large, 1144x1%x13% inches; cavity, deep, 
shallow; suture, indistinct, swollen along line; apex, irregular in out- 
line; surface, roughish, dull; color, dark purplish red; dots, small, 
grayish; bloom, thick, lilac; skin, thick, without astringency; flesh, 
yellow, firm; stone, large, flat, rigid along wing; flavor, acid, very 
slightly astringent; quality, good. 

General notes: Season, first half of August. This is one of the 
largest of the native plums. Looks like a Domestica in color of skin 
firmness of flesh. Not introduced. 


DANISH DAMSON (Kreger) Domestica. 


Fruit, round, 3 to % of an inch in diameter; beautiful light blue; best 
quality for preserving and canning, and very good to eat out of hand; 
colors four weeks before ripe; free stone; season first or second week in 
September. Tree, upright grower, hardy, hardiest of Domesticas here 
tested; bears young and regularly; seems as hardy in bud as Ameri- 
canas. (H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn.) 

Scions were imported from Denmark in the spring of 1884, by H. 
Knudson, and introduced by him a few years later, 


Fig. 12-DEATON. . 


268 


DAVENPORT. (Fluke A.) Americana. ‘ 

Fruit received from N. K, Fluke, Davenport, Ia., September 18, 1899. 
Form, regular oval, sometimes conical, sometimes flattened latterly; 
size, 144x13@x1% inches; apex, rounded; cavity, very small; suture, a 
faint line; surface, smooth; color, clear yellow, with faint pink blush; 
flesh, deep yellow, firm; dots, none; skin, very thin non-astringent; 
stone, small, ovate, free; flavor, pleasant sugary sweet, non-pruniose; 
quality, best. 

General notes: A handsome yellow free stone plum without acidity 
about stone or astringency in skin; decidedly valuable. From seed of 
DeSoto. Originated under cultivation by Mr. Fluke. Not introduced. 


DEATON, DVomestica. 

Fruit received from Amos Garretson, Des Moines, la., September I, ‘99 
Form, oval truncate; size, medium 134xI 3-16x1I% inches; eavity, deep 
narrow abrupt; stem, stout, 3¢x1 inch; suture, shallow, broad shallow; 
apex, flattened, oblique; surface, smooth; color, greenish yeliow; dots, 
small, numerous; bloom, thin, almost white; skin, thin; flesh, greenish, 
firm, melting; quality, best; stone, adherent to flesh; flavor, a vinous 
sweet. 

General notes: A plum of the Reine Claude type. From a 
sprout of Domestica plum planted some years ago near Des Moines. 
Introduced by J. Wragg & Son, Waukee, Ia. 


DESOTO, Americana. 
Description unnecessary; well known and much appreciated. The 
weak point of this variety seems to be its lack of ability to stand dry 
weather. For best results plant on low rich ground and thin the fruit. 
Native of Iowa. - 


DOMESTIC PLUMS. 
For characteristics of this group see page 236. 

The following are among the leading varieties of this class; Shrop- 
shire, Damson, Reine Claude, Jefferson, Lombard, Washington, Mag- 
num Bonum, Pond Seedling, Italian Prune, German Prune, Glass 
‘Seedling, Bradshaw, Duane Purple. 


Dr. DENNIS, Americana. 
A seedling of Hawkeye by Terry. 
Fruit, large, of good quality. Season, August 20 to September 1. 


DIANA, Americana. 

Fruit received from H. A. Terry, Crescent, Ia., August 28, 1899. Form, 
truncate, conical or oval; size, 14¢x1% inches; cavity, shallow, small; 
stem, short stout; suture, clearly marked; apex, flattened; surface, 
smooth; color, yellow ground; dots, indistinct; bloom, thin lilac; skin, 
thick, acid; flesh, yellow, meaty; stone, large, flat, oval, cling; flavor. 
brisk, clear acid; quality, good. 

General notes: A large handsome plum of the Van Buren type. 
Shows some tendency to crack. Grown from seed of Hawkeye by H. 
A. Terry. Not introduced. (Terry, Catalogue, 1899.) 


269 


“DOWNING (Chas.) Wildgoose. 


Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, la., August 18, 1899. 
Form, round; skin, thin; size, medium to large; color, bright red; flesh, 
juicy but firm; quality, good. 

General notes: Tree, low spreading grower, flat topped; fruit 
coloring, but not fully ripe at this date. This variety does well in the 
vicinity of Des Moines; north of that point the fruit buds are apt to be 
injured. Originated with Terry, 1882. 


EDITH, Americana. 


Fruit received from E. L. Hayden, Oakville, Ia., August 18, ’99. Form 
globular; size, medium; cavity, small; suture, indistinct; apex, rounded; 
surface, smooth, shiny; color, dark red; dots, small, numerous; bloom, 
thick, lilac; skin, thin; stone, medium; flavor, pleasant; quality, good; 
mid-season. 

_ Generalnotes: Tree an upright vigorous grower. From seed of 
Iowa Beauty, grown by Mr. Hayden; not introduced. 


ELDORADO, Americana. 


Fruit, received from H. A. Terry, September 4, 1899. Form, roundish, 
truncate; size, 144x144 inches; cavity, medium; suture, practically 
wanting; apex, flattened; surface, smooth, marbled; color, yellow over- 
laid with red; dots, small, grayish; bloom, thin, lilac; skin, thick, 
entirely non-astringent; flesh, firm, yellow; stone, regular, oval, ridged 
near margin; flavor, brisk sub-acid; quality, good. 

General notes: The chief feature about this is its thick, non- 
astringent skin which should render it a good shipper. Introduced 
1899 by H. A. Terry, with whom it originated. 


EMILy MAy, Domestica. 


Fruit, received from Lillian A. Trotter, Owen Sound, Ont , Can., Sep- 
tember 8, 1899. Form, oval, slightly egg shape; size, large, 2 in. by 
13 by 134 in.; cavity, deep, narrow; stem, stout % in.; suture, a 
well marked groove; apex, flattened; surface, smooth; color, clear, 
light yellow; dots, wanting; bloom, very thin lilac; skin, thin; flesh, 
firm, melting, tough nextstone; stone, small, surtace rough, free; flavor, 
delicate, primrose; quality, good. : 

General notes: A large, handsome plum, of Pond Seedling type, 
but of better quality. 


EMMA, Americana. 


Fruit received from H.A. Terry, Crescent, la., September 8,’99. Form 
roundish; skin, thin; size, fair to medium; flesh, very meaty for one of 
this class; stone, large, adherent; flavor, rather acid; quality, good. 

General notes: A dark red plum about the size of Wolf. Intro- 
duced by Terry, 1899. 


270 
EMERALD, 7riflora x Americana. 
Fruit, roundish large, greenish yellow marbled with coppery red; flesh 
yellowish translucent with yellow veins, rather tender, stringy, juicy; 
mild sub-acid almost sweet; good to very good. (Description by W. A. 
Taylor, Assistant Pom. Dep. Ag., Washington, D..C.) 

Tree somewhat resembles a young thrifty Early Richmond Cherry; 
bark on stem of tree is spotted with cork-like excrescences; buds very 
conspicuous, large, long, Americana-like; more productive and better 
for canning than Burbank; hardy and fruitful where Burbank fails in 


+ 


Figure 13. 


fruit bud. (Theo. Williams.) Originated under cultivation with Mr. 
Williams by crossing Burbank with Brittlewood, and planted in 1896. 
Not introduced. This was one of the largest and Dane ne plums 
that came under our notice last season. 


EUREKA, Americana. 


We have not seen the fruit of this. The following is by Theo. Williams. 
Fruit, very large, heart-shaped, yellowish red to purple; flesh, firm; 
cling; season, July t-10. Mr. Wm. A. Taylor, Assistant Pomologist, 
Dep. of Agr., Washington, describes the fruit thus: ‘“Roundish, dull 
brownish red yellowish, translucent flesh, meaty, moderately juicy; 


271 


good to very good.” Mr. Williams says: ‘Tree, upright, very strong, 
fruit, sparse; fruit buds, long; pointed leaves, large.” 
Originated under cultivation with Mr. Williams, from -seed of 
Cheney in 1896. Not introduced. 


FAIRCHILD, Americana. 
Fruit received from A. Snyder & Son, Center Point, Ia., September 1, 
1899. Form, Ellipsoid, irregular; size, 134x1%x154 inches; cavity, 
shallow; suture, outlined but not depressed; apex, oblique or rounded; 
surface, smooth; color, yellowish to deep red, marbled; dot§, large, 
gray; bloom, thin, lilac; skin, thick, brittle, slightly astringent; flesh, 
yellow, firm; stone, medium size, flat, winged, adherent; brisk sub-acid: 
quality, fair to good. 

Fairly attractive and of good quality. From seed of DeSoto sup- 
posed to have been fertilized with pollen of a Nebraska wild plum. 
Grown by J. H. Fairchild, Linn Co., la.,in 1894. Introduced in 1899 
by A, Snyder & Son, Center Point, Iowa. 


Fancy, Hlortulana. 
Fruit, large to very large, oblong, yellow with shading of light red; 
faint lilac bloom; skin, thin, tough, without astringency; flesh, firm, 
sweet, juicy; stone, medium to small, cling; flavor, rich peach when 
canned. It is firm and would be a shipping plum. Season August 20 
to September 1. Tree, stocky, round spreading top, very prolific. (E- 
L. Hayden, Oakville, Ia.) Consider it the best of 50 varieties. 
Originated with John Brown, Oakville, Louisa Co., Ia., in 1885, be- 
ing a sprout from the stock of a Wild Goose tree. Not yet introduced. 


FOREST GARDEN, Americana. 
One of the older varieties. A handsome fruit of good quality; nearly 
afree stone. The tree is sprawling in character and breaks down | 
readily if the branches are not annually shortened in. An Iowa variety 
found wild near Cedar Rapids. Goff says, “Introduced by H.C. Ray- 
mond of Council Bluffs in 1882.” 


FREE SILVER, Americana x Hortulana. 
Fruit received from H. A. Terry, Crescent, la. Form, regular oval; 
size, large, 134x114 inches; cavity, small shallow; stem, % to % inch; 
suture, indistinct; apex, rounded; surface, smooth but not shiny; color> 
a clear dark red; dots, small, gray; bloom, thin lilac; skin, thin, tough 
acid but not astringent; flesh, firm but melting; stone, large, ovate, 
pointed, fiattened, acid next to stone, adherent; flavor, a mingling of 
Americana and Augustifolia; quality, good; season end of August. 
General notes: Oneof the largest and handsomest native plums 
yet produced. Flavor strongly indicative of a strain of Miner blood. 
A very promising plum. Grown from seed of Van Buren; bore fruit in 
1896. Introduced for trial in 1900 by the originator, H. A. Terry. 


aft 


WAATIS AHUA—'¢T “STA 


273 
GARDEN KING, Americana. 


Fruit, medium to large, oval, scarlet; flesh sweet, juicy, often aromatic; 
small, freestone; keeps well, clings well to trees; season August Io. 
Tree rapid grower; heavy bearer; leaves large, long, light green. (A. 
R. Prescott, Postville, Iowa.) 

Found wild in 1853. Judge Elias Topliff, of DeSoto, Wis., culti- 
vated this in 1861; from him obtained by A. R. Prescott, Postville, 
Allamakee Co., Iowa, who introdueed it in 1806. 


GAYLORD, Americana. 


Fruit, received from B. A. Matthews, Kneasine Iowa, August 16, 1699. 
Form, ovate; size, medium; cavity, small; stem, 4% inch long; suture, 
outlined but not depressed; apex, slightly pointed; surface, smooth; 
color, yellow, clouded with ‘red; dots, none; bloom, thin lilac; 
skin, thick, bitterish; flesh, yellow, melting; stone, medium to large, 
oval, separates easily; flavor, brisk, sub-acid, juice sweet; quality, fair. 

General notes. Not specially promising; skin too thick and astrin- 
gent. Found wild by David Hardman, Nora Springs, Iowa, about 46 
years ago. Introduced by Edson Gaylord, Nora Springs, Iowa. 


GAYLORD GOLD, Americana. ; 
“Medium size of a beautiful shiny gold color; free stone, pit small; 
quality, good; season first of September.” Gaylord. © 

Found by John Henry, Nora Springs, Ia., about twenty years ago 
in Rock Grove timber. Scions distributed by Edson Gaylord. 


GOLD, Americana. 

Fruit received from H. A. Terry, Crescent, la., August 31, 1899. Form, 
ovoid or round; size, medium, 1;,x1,, inches; cavity, shallow, small; 
stem, short; suture, marked but ented: apex, very slightly flattened; 
surface, smooth; color, orange yellow and light red; dots, very minute; 
bloom, very thin lilac; skin, medium thick, slightly astringent; flesh, 
deep yellow, firm, meaty; stone, circular oval, adherent; flavor, sub- 
acid, sugary; quality, good. 

General notes: A smallish plum but commended on account of 
high quality. Introduced by Terry, 1898. 


GOLDEN, 7riflora. 
A beautiful bright yellow Japanese plum quite Seat distributed 
under the name Gold. 


GUINEA EGG, Americana. 
Fruit, very large, dark red; skin, thin; flesh, firm; stone, comparatively 
small; excellent flavor; just the thing to peel and serve with cream and 
sugar; also finecanning. Tree, large, thrifty, spreading growth, hardy. 
, (Frederic Albright, Estrella, Cala.) 
Found wild about 1857 by Frederic Albright, near Bangor, Mar- 
shall Co., Ia. Not introduced. 


274 
HAAG, Americana. 


Fruit, medium to large, oblate, red, excellent quality, said to ripen 
earlier than Forest Garden and Pottawattamie. Tree, moderately 
vigorous, slightly spreading, good crotches. (J. S. Haag, Hosper, Ia.) 

Parentage unknown, original tree purchased from a Nursery Co. of 
Minneapolis, Minn., many years ago, name lost; first attracted Mr. 
Haag’s attention on account of earliness. Introduced under name of 
Haag by J.S. Haag, Hosper, Sioux Co., Ia. 


HAMMER, /fortulana. . 

Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, Ia., August 29, 1899. 
Form, roundish, truncate, slightly one sided; size, medium to large; 
cavity, sloping; suture, lightly marked; apex, rounded; surface, slightly 
roughened; color, dark red; dots, numerous, grayish; bloom, thick pur- 
ple; skin, very thick and leathery; flesh, soft and somewhat stringy; 
stone, roundish, smooth, adherent; flavor, peculiar, a mingling of Hort- 
lana and Americana; quality, good. 

General notes: This fruit possesses in a remarkable way the flavor 
of the two classes—Americana and Hortulana. Its thick leathery skin 
ought to make it a good shipper. A valuable variety grown by Terry 
from seed of Miner. Introduced in 1892. 


Hart, (Hart's DeSota.) Americana. 
Very much the same type in fruit but differing in foliage from Dicks: 
of which it is said to be a seedling. DeSoto does not stand drought 
well. This is claimed by Prof. Budd.and others to an improvement in 
hat respect. 

Scions received by Prof. Budd from H. Hart, Sioux Co., about 1890. 
Tree came from a sprout which sprang from stock of a tree bought for 
DeSoto. Widely distributed by the Hort. Dept. of the College. 


HAWKEYE, Americana. 


Fruit, received from B. A. Mathews, Knoxville, lowa, August 2g, - 1899 
Form, roundish, conical; size, large, 144 by 134 inches; cavity, a mere 
depression; stem, % inch; suture, a line not depressed;. apex, pointed; 
surface, smooth; color, yellow, red and purple; dots, numerous, gray; 
bloom, thick lilac; skin, sour, but not astringent; flesh, firm, but melt- 
ing; stone, oval; flavor, sweetish, pleasant; quality, good. 

General notes: Specimens received from H. A. Terry, the origi- 
nator also, who says the tree should be grown on its own roots in order 
to obtain fruit of good uniform size. Originated from seed of Quaker 
by Terry. Introduced in 1883. One of the most satisfactory and wide- 
ly planted Americanas. 


HILpA No. 5, Aortulana. 
Fruit, medium to large, darkened; fine for jelly and plum butter; sea- 
son, medium to late. A good orchard tree, vigorous and hardy, with 
good foliage. (Wagner.) 
Originated under cultivation with J. F. Wagner, Bennett, Ia., in 
1894, from seed of Miner, pollinated by wild plum. Not introduced. 


275 


HOSKINS, Americana. 
“Large, yellow, ripens 15th of August; free stone. The Hoskins 
originated on the farm of Mr. Hoskins, near Pleasant Plain, Ia. We 
introduced it in 1899.” (J. Wragg & Son, Waukee.) 


HUNT, Americana. 
Fruit received from M. J. Graham, Adel, Ia., August 22, 1899. Form, 
roundish, oval, truncate at stem end; size, 134x1\& inches; cavity, shal- 
low; stem, 5g to 34 of an inch; suture, clearly defined but not depressed; 
apex, lobed slightly; surface, smooth, irridescent; color, garnet; dots, 
large, numerous; bloom,heavy lilac, purple; skin, thin, free from astrin- 
gency; flesh, yellow, fairly firm, keeps well; stone, ovate, winged, large; 
flavor, mild, Wild Goose like; quality, good; a desirable cooker. 
General notes: A handsome plum of good quality. Appears to be 
intermediate between Americana and Augustifolia. Should be valu- 
able. Grown from seed of Wild Goose supposed to have been polli- 


Hig 19;-- HUN L. 


nated by DeSoto, by Henry Hunt, DeSoto, Dallas Co., Ia., about 1880. 
Introduced by M. j. Graham, Adel, Ia., 1897. A valuable variety. Tree 
said to be hardy and vigorous; does not split under a heavy load of 
fruit. Thought by many to belong to the Wild Goose group. 


ILLINOIS IRONCLAD, Americana. 


Fruit received from B. A. Matthews, Knoxville, Ia., August 24, 1899. 
Form, roundish, conic, truncate at stem; size, 134x144 inches; cavity, 
broad, gently sloping; stem, 44 inch long; suture, clearly marked; apex, 
pointed; surface, smooth; color, bright clear, red; dots, very small, 
numerous; bloom, thick lilac; skin, thick, astringent; flesh, very firm, 
yellow, dryish; quality, poor; stone, large, oblong; flavor, acid, 
astringent. 

General notes: If valuable, itis only on account of firmness of 
flesh and possible shipping qualities. ‘Wild from Illinois. Introduced 
by Stark Bros.” Bailey. 


276 


IMPERIAL, Americana. 


Fruit received from C. B. Gingrich, LaPorte, Ia., September 1, 1899. 
Form, round conical; size, small; apex, slightly; cavity, broad deep; 
suture, a purplish line not depressed; surface, smooth, marbled; color, 
yellow with red markings; dots, none; bloom, very thin lilac; skin, thin, 
pleasant acid; flesh, firm, clear yellow; stone, medium small, rounded, 
adherent; flavor, a brisk plum acid; quality, good. y 
A smallish plum of DeSoto type. Probably a good cooking vari- 
ety, for which purpose it is recommended by Mr. Gingrich. Not intro- 
duced. Too smail to be valuable commercially. 


IOWA BEAUTY, Americana. 


Fruit received from A. B. Dennis, Cedar Rapids, la., August 18, 1899. 
Form, regular, oval; skin, thin; size, medium; color, yellow mottled; 
flesh, melting, sweet; quality, good. 

A handsome medium sized plum. Early, of good quality. Taken 
from the woods by Hugo Beyer, New London, Ia., and locally intro- 
duced. 


JAPANESE PLUMS. 


See Abundance and Burbank. The following list includes the princi- 
pal varieties: Early: Red June, Ogon, Willard, Abundance. Mid-sea- 
son: Burbank, Hale, Maru, Hunn. Late: Chabot, Satsuma, Wickson. 


JAP No. 4, Americana x Triflora. 


Fruit received from Iowa Experiment Station, September Io, 1899. 
Form, oblong oval; suture, well marked; size, medium; apex, slightly 
flattened; surface, smooth; color, yellow ground, with red mottlings; 
dots, none; bloom, none; skin, thin, tender; flesh, yellow; stone, oblong, 
conical, entirely free; flavor, sweet; quality, good. 

General notes: Almost an exact counterpart of Weaver in size,- 
form and appearance. This plum is of good quality but lacks attractive- 
ness. DeSoto pollinated with a Japanese variety. Tree or fruit do not 
show intermediateness of character. Introduced by the College five or 
six years ago. Very productive. 


JouHN A., Domestica. 


Fruit received from Lillian A. Trotter, Owen Sound, Ontario, Can., 
September 12, 1899. Form, oblong or egg-shaped slightly flattened 
laterally; size, large; cavity, narrow; suture, quite deeply marked; 
stone, large, semi-cling; stem, 1% inches, stout; color, dark bronzy red, 
with brighter flush near calyx; bloom, heavy, purplish blue; flesh, 
greenish yellow, firm, juicy; flavor, a pleasant sub-acid. 

General notes: An excellent shipper; in good condition after a 
journey of some days. A cross between a local seedling called 
Evelyn and Fellemberg, the latter being the male parent. Not intro- 
duced but well worthy of propagation. See report of Canadian Expe- 
riment Farms, 1894, p. 137. 


277 


JONES, Americana. 
“Fruit, large, slightly oblong, dark red; keeps ten days to two weeks; 
season September 1 to1s5. Tree, upright, with spreading tendency; a 
good bearer.” (Owen Jones, Crescent, Iowa.) ; 
Originated under cultivation with Mrs. Owen Jones, Crescent, [a., 
in 1880. Introduced by H..A. Terry in 1895. 


JuuiA, (Edith of Terry), Americana. 
“Fruit, very large, nearly round, yellow, striped with pale red; flesh, 
firm; cling; good market variety, promises to be valuable; season, 
September 15. Tree, upright grower, good bearer.” Terry. 
Parentage unknown, originated under cultivation with H. A. Terry 
in 1896. First fruit 1899. Not introduced. 


KEITH, Americana. 
Fruit received from B. A. Matthews, August 24, 1899. Form, oblong, 
conic, truncate; size, 1'4x1 4 inches; cavity, very shallow; stem, ¥% inch 
long; suture, not depressed; apex, pointed; surface, shiny; color, yel- 
low, blushed with red; dots, small, numerous; bloom, thin lilac; skin, 
thin, tough, non-astringent; flesh, melting but firm; stone, large, flat; 
flavor, sugary, lacking in juice; quality, good to best. 

General notes: A handsome plum of DeSoto type. A good 
keeper and shipper, but rather small this year. 

KLONDYKE, Americana. 
Fruit received from J. Wragg & Son, Waukee, Ia., August Io, 1899. 
Form, roundish, oval; size, 1%x% inches; cavity, small, rather deep; 
suture, a slight depression; apex, rounded; surface, opaque; color, 
bright yellow shading into red, slightly mottled; dots, numerous, small; 
flavor, sweetish; bloom, thin lilac; flesh, rather watery; quality, medium. 

General notes: A small light red plum of the Americana type— 
principally valuable on account of its early ripenng season. Originated 
with J. Wragg & Sons, from Americana seed. Introduced in 1897 by 
W. F. Heikes, Huntsville, Ala. 

KROH, (Poole’s Pride), Wildgoose. 

. Fruit received from Experiment Station, August 10, 1899. Form, ob- 
long, oval, symmetrical; size, 1x1 inch; cavity, small; stem, one inch; 
sature, indistinct; apex, slightly depressed; surface, smoth; color, sal- 
mon or pinkish red; dots, few, small; bloom, lilac, thin; skin, thin; flesh, 
rather watery; stone, oval, round, flesh closely adherent; flavor, insipid; 
quality, second or third rate. 

General notes: This variety is much smaller in size this season 
than ordinarily given in descriptions; also appears to be much poorer 
in quality than usual; no value in this locality. Tree on Sand Cherry. 

LEGAL TENDER, Americana. 
“Fruit, large, round; golden yellow blotched with dark red; thin skin; 
semi-cling; fine quality; ripe August) 20 to 25. Tree, strong grower; 
wonderfully productive.” (H. A. Terry.) 

Parentage unknown; originated under cultivation with H. A. 
Terry, in 1896; first fruit 1899; not introduced. 


me ‘OL ‘Stl 
WIOM 
‘NOTIN 


MAHUMVH 


279 


LEIpsic, Domestica. 


Fruit received from J. L. Budd, Ames, Ia., September 12, 1899. Form, 
roundish, oval; size, 1%x13% inches; cavity, deep, narrow; stem, 
slender, curved or straight; suture, faintly outlined; apex, flattened; 
surface, smooth; color, purplish red; dots, small, numerous; bloom, 
thin, lilac; skin, thin, peels easily; flesh, firm, light yellow; stone, 
medium size, roughened on surface, cling; flavor, sweet, pleasant; 
quality, good. ; 

General notes: This appears in fruit to be identical with Merunka. 
Produced a good crop in Ames, 1899. Imported from Russia and 
introduced by Budd, 1884. 


LILLIE, Americana, 

Fruit received from H. A. Terry, August 28, 1899. Form, globular, 
sometimes conical; size, medium to small, 15x1,; cavity, broad, shal- 
low; stem, slender, inch; suture, faint, wanting in some; apex, 
rounded; surface, smooth; color, bright to dark red; dots, numerous, 
gray; bloom, thick lilac; skin, thick, non-astringent; flesh, sugary, melt- 
ing; stone, pointed, winged, free; flavor, acid near skin, sweet near 
stone; qnality, best. 

A very handsome symmetrically formed plum of excellent quality. 
From seed of Hawkeye grown by Terry; introduced in 1894. 


LOMBARD, Domestica. 
It seems desirable for the purpose of clearness to group under this va- 
riety several kinds which if not identical are very closely allied. 

Lombard is one of the most widely grown of all plums. It is in 
the east to plum growers, much what Concord is to grape growers, 
Ben Davis to apple growers and Kieffer to pear growers. The tree is 
vigorous and productive. The fruit is medium in size and quality and 
a mid-season variety. 

a. Communia. See description, p. 265. 

b. Spanish King. (Lezée). The following reference to this variety 
is found in Charles Downing’s MSS. plum notes bequeathed to this 
department. “E.A. Ingram, Des Moines, Ia., Oct. 20, 1882:” ‘This 
plum was brought to Marion Co., la., by Mr. John Leike, a German 
Nurseryman. He got the scions of the Spanish Consul as a Spanish 
variety. He brought scionsto Iowa about 1872. * * The fruit re- 
sembles Lombard but is much larger.”” John Wragg is quoted as 
believing Spanish King and Lombard to be distinct. 

c. Tatge. See description, page 289. 


MADAM LEEDS, W12/dgoose. 
Fruit nearly as large as Wildgoose; very clear, bright red; does not 
hang well to tree; season a week or two later than Wyant. Tree can 
hardly be distinguished from Poole Pride in foliage; very heavy bearer. 
(Hiram Heaton, Glendale, Ia.) 
We have not seen the fruit. Originated with Geo. Temple, many 
years ago; parentage unknown; not introduced. 


280 
MINNIE, Domesttca. 

Fruit, medium to large. slightly “necked” near stem; greenish yellow, 
quality, good; ripe about September 21. Tree, upright, good grower; 
large leaves, fairly hardy. (H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn.) 

Originated under cultivation with H. Knudson, Springfield, Minn., 
from seed of a large blue Domestica plum, years ago; also introduced 
by him some time ago. 


MELON, Americana. 


Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, Ia., August 28, 1899. 
Form, rounded truncated at stem end; size, medium, 144x1¥% inches; 
cavity, none, flat; stem, % inch; suture, slightly marked; apex, slightly 
pointed; surface, smooth, opaque; color, yellowish red; dots, very 
minute; bloom, thin lilac; skin, moderately thick, tough; flesh, melting, 
somewhat stringy; quality, fair; stone, round, ovate, fairly free; flavor, 
Americana like, lacking in sweetness. 

General notes: Rather a handsome plum of Hawkeye season, but — 
no improvement on that variety. 


MERUNKA, Domestica. 


Fruit received from J. L. Budd, Ames, lowa, September 12, 1899. Form, 
roundish, oval; size,14x13% inches; cavity, deep, narrow; stem, slender, 
curved; suture, faintly marked; apex, depressed; surface, smooth; 
color, purplish red; dots, large, gray scattering; bloom, very thin lilac; 
skin, thin, breaking separates readily from flesh; flesh, deep yellow, 
tender; stone, medium size, dark brown, cling; flavor, sweet, pleasant; 
quality, good. . 

General notes: Averages larger than Lombard and is better in 
quality. Introduced from Russia by Budd, 1884. Fruit distributed by 
the Horticultural Department of the College during the past ten years. 
See Leipzic: 


MOREMAN, Wayland. 


A medium to small oval or nearly globular dark red plum; flesh, firm, 
meaty for this type; season, one of the latest to mature. The tree is 
fairly hardy and a rampant grower. In the south part of the state it is 
appreciated. B.A. Mathews, Knoxville, la., says: ‘‘As a ‘plum but- 
ter plum’ it is unsurpassed.” The illustration shows the natural size of 
the fruit as grown by Mr. Mathews last season. In common with most 
varieties it was undersized. 


+ MiLtTon, Wildgoose. 
Fruit received from A. B. Dennis, Cedar Rapids, Ja., August 16, 1899. 
Form, globular or oblate; skin, thin; size, 1,4; inches long x 1% inches 
laterally; color, dark red; flesh, melting but firm; stone, ovate, closely 
adherent to flesh; flavor, delicate, apricot like; quality, good. 
General notes: A valuable early plum, not reliable north of the 
central part of the state. From seed of Wild Goose, by Terry. 


zdl 


MIRABELLE, Prunus Domestica Maliformus, Linn, of Waugh Rep. Vt. 


Exp. Sta., 1899, p. 271. 
Fruit received from J. L. Budd, Ames, Ia., August 22, 1899. Form, 
oblate. flattened laterally; size, small, cherry-like, sometimes two lobed; 
cavity, quite large; stem, 7% inch; suture, outlined; apex, depressed; 
surface, smooth, not shiny; color, yellow; dots towards stem end, red; 
bloom, very thin lilac; skin, thin, tough; flesh, fairly firm; stone, small, 
oval, perfectly free; flavor, sweet, melting; quality, good to best. 
General notes: Like the small yellow cherry plum of England. 
Heavy crop in Ames, 1899. Tree seems fairly hardy. Introduced from 


Russia in 1883 by Budd. 


Fig. 17—MOREMAN. 


NEVER FAIL, Americana. 
Fruit, large, round, red, very beautlful; quality, fine, ripe about with 
DeSoto. Tree, vigorous growth, slightly spreading, good crotches. 


(J. S. Haag, Hosper, Iowa. } 
Purchased of an eastern nurseryman, for Wolf, not true to name; 


introduced by J. 8. Haag, Hosper, Sioux Co., Iowa. 


NEBRASKA WONDER (Sayles,) Americana. 


Fruit, large, round,a trifle smaller but resembling Green Gage in 
color, form and flavor; slight yellow tinge, mottlea red when over ripe, 
without astringency when fully ripe; ships well; season ten days earlier 


282 - 


than Miner. Tree, dwarfish, symmetrical, spreading, exceedingly pro- 
lific and a very early bearer; (H. P. Sayles, Ames, Ia.) 

Found wild in 1892 by A. Webster, Golden, Burt Co., Nebraska; 
introduced by H. P. Sayles, Ames, Ia., in 1897. 


NEWMAN, Chicasaw. 


Fruit received from B. A. Mathews, August 23, 1899. Form, somewhat 
obovate; size, small; cavity, shallow, small; stem, % to % inches: 
slender; suture, indistinct; apex, slightly depressed; surface, smooth, 
shiny; color, light yellow, shaded with light red; dots, small, few; 
bloom, very thin lilac; skin, thin; flesh, yellow, firm; stone, small, oval, 
adherent; flavor, brisk acid; quality, fair. 

General notes: Fruit too small for commercial purposes; excellent 
for canning. Season, August 25 to September I. 


Fig. 18. 


NEw ULM, Americana. 


Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, August 28, 1899. Form, truncate, 
sharply conical; size, 114x134 inches; cavity, shallow; stem, 34 inch; 
suture, indistinct; apex, rounded, pointed; surface, smooth; color, light 
yellow, pinkish red; dots, small, gray; bloom, very thin lilac; skin, thin, 
non-astringent; flesh, soft,melting; stone, large,smooth, winged slightly; 
flavor, mild, sweet; quality, good. 

General notes: A handsome yellow plum of DeSoto type. Snooks 
appears to be almost identical with above, with the difference that 


283 


it appears somewhat more astringent in skin; otherwise the same 
throughout. 


NOYES SEEDLING, Hortulana. 


. 1, Domestica. 


Fruit received from A. B. Dennis, Cedar Rapids, Ia., August 16, 1899. 
Form, oblong, oval; size, 1%%x1% inches; cavity, shallow; suture, 
distinct; apex, depréssed; surface, smooth, glossy; color, yellow, clouded 
with red; dots, numerous, small; bloom, none; skin, very thick, acid 
but not astringent; flesh, deep yellow, melting; stone, large, roundish, 
closely adherent; flavor, sweet; quality, good. 

General notes: Season, about middle of August. This seems a 
good type of plum for shipping purposes. ‘‘Originated with the mother 
of Verne Noyes near Springville, Linn Co., lowa, about 18 years ago 
from pits of plums purchased for California plums from dealer.” 
Dennis. 


Fruit, large, oblong, purple; flesh, juicy; pit, small; season August I5. 
Tree, vigorous grower, resembling Green Gage but more hardy, bark, 


_ smooth. (Wm. T. Richey, Albia, Ia.) 


No. 


No. 


No. 


Originated under cultivation with Wm. T. Richey, Albia, Monroe 
Co., Ia., in 1895, from seed of Green Gage. Not introduced. 


2. Hortulana. | 

Fruit, large, conical; purplish red; flesh, rich; stone, medium; season, 

August 10-15. Tree, thrifty grower, resembling Miner. (Wm. T. Richey.) 
Originated under cultivation with Wm. T. Richey, Albia, [a., in 

1895, from seed of Miner. Not introduced. 


17. Hortulana. 
Fruit, good cooking sort. Tree, as hardy and as good a bearer as 
Miner. Mathews. 

Originated under cultivation with B. A. Mathews, about 1886 or 


1887; from seed of Miner. Not introduced. 


11, Americana. (A. Norby, Madison, S. D.) 


Fruit, oval, large, rich golden yellow, overspread with red; skin, disap- 
pears in cooking; flesh, of good consistency, handles well and keeps 
well; quality, better than Wolf; season same as Forest Garden. Tree, 
upright, symmetrical grower, hardy, leaves thick, bears well. (A. 
Norby, Madison, S. D.) 

Grown from seed of selected varieties, probably DeSoto, by A. 
Norby, Madison, Lake Co., S. D., in 1895; not yet introduced. 


. 1, Americana. 


Fruit, like DeSoto very much; same season. Tree, regular, heavy 
bearer. (W.S. Fultz, Muscatine, Ia.) 

Found wild in Muscatine Co., Ia., over fifty years ago by Jacob 
Valet and transplanted to his farm near Moscow, Muscatine Co., lowa, 
and later carried to Muscatine, la. Introduced privately. 


284 
No. 2. Americana. 


Fruit, about the size of Wolf; season, a little laterthan DeSoto. Tree, 
regular bearer. (W.S. Fultz, Muscatine, Ia.) 

Originated with Ernst Leibbe from a sprout that came up from 
roots of a plum bought for Yellow egg. Original tree bears yellow 
plums, this one red. Not introduced. 


No. 3. Domestica. 


Fruit, said to be good sized, yellow, egg-shaped. Tree, upright, good 
bearer. (W.S. Fultz, Muscatine, Ia.) 

Originated with Mrs. Van Horne, from seed of Bete Cali- 
fornia Prunes several years ago. Not introduced. 


No. 1, Americana. 


Fruit, medium; red; quality, good. Tree, rather dwarfish. nary. CE. 
H. Bruning, Kent, Ia.) 

Found wild by F. H. Bruning, Kent, Union Co., Ia., pane 1854; 
not introduced. 


No. 2, Americana. 


Fruit, resembles Weaver, ripens alittle laterthan No. 1. Tree, hardy, 
heavy bearer. (F. H. Bruning, Kent, Ia.) 

Originated under cultivation with F. H. Bruning, Union Co., Iowa, 
about 1880, from seed of Weaver; not introduced. 


No. 3. Flortu/ana. 


Fruit, resembles Miner; season, a little earlier than Miner. Tree, re- 
sembles Miner, rather spreading. (F. H. Bruning, Kent, Ia.) 

Originated under cultivation with F.H. Bruning in 1890, from seed 
of Miner. Not introduced. 


OCHEEDA, Americana. 


Fruit, larger than DeSoto or Forest Garden, with smaller pit than 
either; color of Forest Garden, 10 days later; sweet and delicious. (H. 
J. Ludlow, Worthington, Minn.) 

Found wild on banks of Ocheeda Lake in 1872, by P. L. Hardow. 
Indroduced in 1892 by H. J. Ludlow, Worthington, Minn.) 


ODEGARD, Vigra. 


Fruit, large, quality, fine; earliest at Brookings, S. D.; ripe August 11 
to 15. (N.E. Hansen, Brookings, S. D.) .Tree, an upright vigorous 
grower. This variety is in high favor in South Dak., Minnesota and 
Wisconsin. 

Grown from seed, sent from Minnesota by N. T. Odegard, near 
Brookings, S. D., about 1887; introduced by A. aa Madison, S. D., 
in 1894. 


285 
OREN (Bingaman, Bartlett) Miner. 


Fruit received from J. K.Oren, Brandon, Buchanan Co., Ia., September 
:, 1899. Form, truncate, flattened, irregular; size, large, 1%4%x1I34x1% 
inches; apex, oblique, basin slightly depressed; cavity, none, flat; su- 
ture, a dark red line not indented; surface, smooth, not shiny; color, 
greenish yellow, yellowish red to dark red; dots, grayish marbling; 
bloom, thin purplish; skin, thick, tough, acid, very slightly astringent; 
‘flesh, firm, deep orange yellow; stone, large oval, flat winged, adherent; 
flavor, pleasant acid; quality, good. 
General notes: One of the largest natives I have seen; this wasalso 
received from J. M. Brainard, editor of the Boone Standard, as grown 


Fig. 19—-OREN. 


by Henry Goetzman, Boone, and C. Bb. Gingrich, LaPorte City. Ap- 
pears in character of leaf to belong to Miner section of Hortulana 
group. Leaf Americana in texture, but pointed and slender; twice as 
long as broad. 

Mr. J. W. Kerr, Denton, Md., thinks highly of the quality of this 
variety but draws. attention to. its. weak. point, namely, its. unat- 
tractive color. The history of this variety is interesting and is given 
by Mr. Oren in his own words, as follows: ‘In the fall of 1876, I came 
from Benton County to this locality, Spring Creek Township, Black 
Hawk County, Iowa. Calling on Mr. Bingaman, (now dead), I noticed 


286 


a few young plum trees standing in his garden full of these plums. I 
bought a farm adjoining Mr. Bingaman; in the fall of 1878 I moved on 
the farm. Noticing at the edge of some timber and brush, a plum 
tree, apparently very old, that bore these plums, (it is now dead,) and 
some young trees standing at some distance from the old tree, I dug up 
and planted these young trees. From these I plucked the plums I sent 
you in September. These trees sprouted; so did those in Mr. Binga- 
man’s garden; we permitted any person to take them that wanted 
them and they were gathered and distributed over this section of country 
and sent as far north as Minnesota, and to Nebraska. Some years ago 
Mr. Williams of Cedar Falls, now dead, came here and gathered all 
the trees he could get, and an arm full of scions. He owned a nursery 
at that time there. I never heard anything from him after.” It appears 
to be one of those local varieties of merit which somehow, not happen- 
ing to come before a commercial propagator remains in comparative 
obscurity. 


Fig. 20.—PATTEN. 


PATTEN, A., Hlortulana. 


Fruit received from C. G. Patten, Charles City, Ia., September 3, 1899. 
Form, ellipsoid, flattened at both ends; size, 13¢x134 inches; cavity, 
deep, sloping gradually; suture, usually a well marked groove; apex, 
flattened, sometimes concave; surface, smooth, not shiny; color, bright 
to purplish red; dots, small, numerous; bloom, very thin lilac; skin. 
thin; flesh, firm, meaty; stone, medium sized, winged, flat, adherent; 
flavor, a mingling of Peach and Americana with Augustifolia; quality, 
good. 

General notes: Probably a hybrid between Americana and Miner 
groups. Originated under cultivation with Mr. Patten, who says it isa 
fair bearer, vigorous grower with healthy foliage. Not introduced. 


PATTEN, B., Americana. 


Fruit received from C. G. Patten, described Sept. 29. Form, conical, 
somewhat pointed; size, medium to large; cavity, shallow; stem, 14 to 
58 inches; suture, clearly outlined; apex, pointed; surface, smooth; 
color, dark purplish red; dots, numerous, small; bloom, thick, lilac; 


287 


skin, thick, brittle; flesh, yellow brown; stone, large, flat, adherent, 
quality, good. 

General notes: A late plum of Stoddard type, not quite so good 
in quality. Originated under cultivation with C.G. Patten, Charles 
City. Not introduced. 


PIPER PEACH, Americana. 


Fruit, large, round, red, covered with bluish bloom; skin parts easily 
from flesh, which 1s orange yellow and of a good consistency; flavor, 
good; stone, medium, round, thick, semi-cling; season late August or 
early September. Tree, vigorous, medium upright grower, apparently 
hardy, productive. (J. S. Harris, LaCrescent, Minn.) 

Probably found wild in Blue Earth Co., Minn. Not yet introduced. 


POTTAWATTAMIE, Chicasaw. 


Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, August 18, 1899. Form, almost 
pyriform; size, 134x1% inches; cavity, narrow, deep; stem, 14 inch; 
suture, very obscure; apex, rounded; surface, smooth, glossy; color, 
pinkish red; dots, numerous, large; bloom, thin, lilac; skin, thin; flesh, 
soft, watery; stone, rounded, small, closely adherent; flavor, insipid; 
quality, poor. 

General notes: Just ripening at this date at Ames. Light crop. 
Tree in fairly good condition on Marianna stock. Introduced by J. C. 
Rice, of Council Bluffs in 1875. 


QUALITY (Gaylord Quality) Americana. 


A medium sized roundish red plum, of good quality; productive; season 
about August 15. (Gaylord.) 

Origin of tree unknown; top grafted by Edson Gaylord about 20 
years ago; scions distributed widely by Mr. Gaylord. 


‘ROCKFORD, Americana. 


Received from C. L. Watrous, August 18, 1899. Form, oblong, oval; 
size, medium to small, 1%x1% inches; cavity, slightly depressed; stem, 
4 to % inch; suture, clearly marked; apex, rounded; surface, smooth; 
color, dark red; dots, small, numerous; bloom, thick lilac; skin, thick; 
flesh, meaty, firm, dryish; stone, oval, rounded laterally, free; flavor, 
sugary, but lacking juice; quality, fair. 

General notes: Leaves character of Wyant. Tree, a short jointed 
grower, spurs prominent. Fully ripe at this date. Wild variety in- 
troduced by C. G. Patten, Charles City, Ia, 


ROSELLE (Hoffman Seedling) Americana. 


Fruit, very large, yellow with red on sunny side; skin, free from astrin- 
gency; flesh, sweet; nearly free stoné; season, September. Tree, 
strong, upright, symmetrical grower, perfectly hardy. (J. W. Hoff- 
man, Roselle, Ia.) 

Chance seedling; originated with Ernest Hoffman, Roselle, Carroll 
Co., Ia., in 1892; not introduced. 


288 


RUE (7. B. Rue) Americana. 


On trial here during the past four or five years. A plum of the Weaver 
type but hardly equal to that variety in size, appearance and firmness 
of flesh. Parentage obscure. Scions were received by Prof. Budd from 
J. B. Rue, Pottawattamie Co., whose address has been lost; distributed 
only by the Horticultural department of the college under name 
J. Bokue, 


SNOOKS, Americana. (See New Ulm.) 


Fruit received from I. S. C. We have been unable to trace the his- 
tory of this variety, which has been fruiting on these grounds for four 
or five years, but which seems thus far to be almost, if not quite, iden- 
tical with New Ulm, which see. Mr. Lord of Minnesota writes that as 
he has these varieties they differ materially in tree. 


SNYDER, Americana. 


Sp 


L 


Fruit received from A. Snyder & Son, Center Point, la., September 4, 
1899. Form, roundish, oblique truncate; size, large, 14%4x1% inches; 
cavity, shallow; stem, stout; suture, a dark line; apex, depressed, 
surface, smooth; color, light red shaded with dark; dots, large, 
few; bloom, thin lilac; skin, thick, leathery; flesh, yellow, firm; stone, 
large, oval, flat, adherent; flavor, brisk, sub-acid; quality, fair to good. 

General notes: A large and attractive plum, probably a good 
shipper, with a good deal of acid in skin and about stone, not thoroughly 
ripe at this date. Tree, said to be an upright vigorous grower. Origi- 
nated with J. A. Fairchild, Coggon, Linn County, Ia., from seed of 
DeSoto in 1893. Not introduced, 


ENDID, Americana. 


Fruit, medium, red; skin tough, no astringency when cooked; flesh; 
yellow, very firm, sweet; stone semi-cling; best for canning and pre- 
serving; heavy bearer; specially recommended for home and market. 
(Geo. S. Bacon, Des Moines, Ia.) Good quality, early heavy bearer; 
very late in ripening; dark red, not specially attractive; ripe one week 
after Wyant. (W. H. Shaul, Des Moines, Ia.) Tree: Dwarfish habit 
(Geo. S. Bacon, Des Moines, Ia.) Found wild by I. K. Teeter near 
Magnolia, Harrison county, Iowa, in 1878; not introduced. 


STEINMAN, Americana. 


Fruit received from C. Steinman, Mapleton, Ia., August 12, 1899. 
Form, oval, conical, onesided; size, 1%x114 inches; cavity, wanting; 
stem, short, curved; suture, distinctly outlined, but not indented; apex, 
pointed; surface, smooth; color, crimson; dots, numerous; bloom, thick 
lilac; skin, thin; flesh, yellow, watery; stone, medium,oval, ridged near 
wing, pointed; flavor, sweet, sugary’ quality, first class. 3 
General notes: Of the type of Wolf or Stoddard; a handsome 
early plum of excellent quality; season slightly in advance of Forest 
Garden; tree originated with Mr. Steinman from a mixed lot of seed of 
DeSoto, Quaker and Forest Garden, 1883; not generally introduced. 


289 
STODDARD, Americana. 


Fruit medium to large; usually round, but sometimes slightly onesided; 
skin, thick, not astringent, shading from yellowish red to dark red; 
“flesh, deep yellow, juicy sweet; quality, good. . This differs from Hawk- 
eye in being a few days earlier and somewhat darker in color, with a 
heavier bloom. Hawkeye is a bright red, while Stoddard is a dark red 
when fully ripe. A very handsome and valuable variety. A chance 
seedling, originated at Jesup, Buchanan county, Iowa, on the farm of 
B. F. Stoddard: Introduced in 1890 by J. Wragg & Sons, Waukee. 
Deservedly popular. 


SUNSET, Americana. 


Fruit, large to very large, beautiful! sunset color; quality, best; season, 
late. One of the most beautiful plums. Sold them at 4 cents per 
pound. Tree, vigorous, hardy, best of foliage; good orchard tree. 

Originated with Chas. E. Pennock, Bellevue, Colo. (J. F. Wag- 
ner, Bennett, la.) 


SURPRISE, //fortiulana. 


Fruit, prune-shaped, dark red, long keeper, therefore valuable for 
market; ripe from Ist to 1oth of September. Tree, thrifty, upright 
grower; hardy, productive: a fine tree in orchard. (Martin Penning, 
Sleepy Eye, Minn.) Cramfield says: ‘‘The very best plum so far 
tested in our orchard.” Rural New Yorker, Nov. 18, 1899. 

Grown from seed of DeSoto, Weaver or Miner by Martin Penning, 
Sleepy Eye, Brown county, Minnesota, in 1886; introduced by him in 
1889. This variety is being tested by the Horticultural Experiment 
Stations of the state. 


TATGE, Domestica. 
Fruit received from C. L. Watrous, Aug. 18, 1899. Form, regular, ob- 
long blunt ends; size, 14x14 mches; cavity, markedly broad and deep; 
size, 3g to % inch; suture, broad and shallow or deep; apex, depressed; 
surface, slightly roughened; color, purplish red on green ground; dots, 
small; stone, medium; flesh, firm; quality, medium; flavor, much like 
Lombard; season that of Lombard. 

General notes: Trees 5 or 6 years old on Marianna (?) stock ap- 
pear to be fairly hardy, not much injured by root killing; not bearing 
at Des Moines this year; evidently of Lombard type and thought by 
some to be identical. Originated at Belle Plaine, Iowa. 


TERRY DESOTO, Americana. 


Fruit, large, golden yellow, overspread with bright crimson, mottled 
with dark crimson; flesh, yellow, rich. sweet; cling; ripe Aug. 1 to Io. 
Tree, rather upright; great bearer. (H.A. Terry.) 

Originated under cultivation with H. A, Terry | in 1895 from seed of 
DeSoto; first fruit, 1899; not introduced. 


290 
THROSSEL, Americana. 


Fruit, large; suture, distinct; skin, thick; season; Sept. 15. Tree, vig- 
orous, hardy. (James Baynam, Correctionville, Ia.) 

Found wild on the Des Moines river by Mr. Throssel, near Pierson, 
Woodbury county, Iowa; not introduced so far as we know. 


! 


Fig. 2I—SURPRISE. (After Goff.) 
VAN DEMAN. 


“Large, round, light red, skin thin; of best quality, cling. Medium 
to late, H. A. Terry, Iowa, 1890. Originated under cultivation.” Bailey, 
Bulletin 38, Cornell University Experiment Station. ‘Cracks badly as 
it approaches maturity. The tree is vigorous, irregular and drooping 
inform. Very productive.” Kerr, Maryland. ‘Large, late, not very 
productive.” Cook, Minnesota. ‘‘Medium to large, fine quality.” 
Terry, lowa. (Wisconsin Bulletin 63, 1897.) / 


291 


WAGNER NO. 9, Americana. 
Fruit: Received from J. F. Wagner, Bennett, Iowa, August 21, 1899. 
Form, ovate; size, small, 1%x1,, inches; cavity, broad, shallow; 
suture, clearly defined; surface, smooth, dull; dots, none; skin, smooth; 
stone, large, flattened, adherent; flavor, sugary, sweet; apex, quite 
shapely pointed; color, yellow, ground; bloom, thin, lilac; flesh, brown- 
ish, yellow; quality, best. 

General notes: A medium sized, yellowish red plum of high qual- 
ity; season of Rollingstone or earlier; looks like a seedling of DeSoto; 
from seed of Weaver, fertilized with a wild variety in 1894; not intro- 
duced. . 

WAYLAND, Way/and. 
The type or representative of this southern group of plums. Thisisa 
vigorous grower, perhaps a little hardier than Burbank; fruit large, 
round, pink-red, semi-cling; season very late; worthy of trial. 
WEAVER, Americana. 


This ranks among the earlier introductions of the improved forms of 
the native plums. Fruit large, oblong, flattened; dark red, overlaid 
with a purplish bloom. The flesh is firm and meaty, separating easily 
from the pit. Introduced by Ennis and Patten, Charles City, Iowa, in 
1875. A valuable variety, but unattractive. 


Fig. 22. 


WHITAKER, W1ldgoose. 

“Very large, red; leaves medium, oblong-ovate, points rather short, 
very fine and evenly serrate, the stalks with small glands or none. 
Originated under cultivation in eastern Texas by J. T. Whitaker. 
Seedling of Wildgoose.”’ (Bailey, Bulletin 38, Cornell University Ag- 
ricultural Experiment Station, 1892.) “A seedling of Wildgoose, and 
is our best and largest early native plum. An extremely good bearer 
with me. Beautiful coloring and good seller; about one week later 
than Wildgoose and perhaps eight or ten days later than Milton.” (Dr. 
A. B. Dennis, Cedar Rapids, Ia. ) 


292 


WICKSON, Japanese. 


Fruit large, conical, with prennnent suture; color dark red; flesh firm, 
yellow; pit smali cling. Tree markedly Sprents in growth, fairly handy, 
perhaps one of the hardiest of the class; said to be a shy bearer by 
some growers, but as its introduction is comparatively recent, such 
judgment may be premature; season last of August or first of Septem- 
ber in New York. It seems more than probable that this plum should 
be classed among Japanese hybrids. 


Fig. 23. 
WILDER, Wildgoose. 
Fruit: Received from C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, August 20, 1899. 
Form, roundish, oval; size, medium; bloom, thick lilac; quality, poor; 
season, middle to end of August; cavity, small; suture, indistinct; sur- 
face, smooth, translucent; dots, large, sparse; skin, tough. A very DEAN, 
tiful plum of the type of Pottawattamie. 


WOLF, Americana. 


Ranks among the most popular varieties of this group. Tree a free 
grower, early bearer and very productive. The fruit is very symmet- 
rical, and when covered with its characteristic purplish bloom is among 


the most beautiful of our native plums. Bailey says: ‘‘It originated 
on the farm of D. B. Wolf, Wapello county, Iowa, nearly forty years 
ago.” 


WYANT, Americana. 
This is properly one of the most popular of the native plums. It is re- 
markably productive and the fruit does not decrease in size so rapidly 
as other varieties under stress of overbearing. The history of this va- 
riety as given by its introducer, Prof. J. L. Budd, is as follows: “Its 


293 


.true history is that J. E. Wyant of Shellsburg, Iowa, assured the writer 
and others that the best native plums to be found in Iowa grew on a 
tree in his mother’s yard in Janesville. The first visit home during the 
dormant season he secured some scions which were topworked in a 


(After Goff.) 


WYANT. 


24. 


Fig. 


bearing plum tree on the grounds of R. Royce of Shellsburg. The sec- 
ond year the scions bore fruit, some of which was sent to Ames. The 


294 


next spring we began its propagation by budding on the college 
grounds.” (J. L. Budd, lowa State Register, Nov. 25, 1899.) 


YELLOW MOLDAVKA, Domestica. 


Fruit: Received from J. L. Budd. Form, regular egg-shape; size, 
large, 2x13@ inches; cavity, deep, narrow stem, 1 to 1% inches long; 
suture, clearly marked; apex, pointed; surface, smooth, not shiny; color, 
clear yellow; dots, few, gray; bloom, very thin; skin, thick, tough; flesh, 
yellow, firm; stone, almost lance, late, thin, perfectly free; flavor, sub- 
acid, prune like; quality, fair. 

General notes: A fairly good plum; trees eight years old bore 
heavily in Prof. Budd’s private garden this year. Imported by Budd 
from Russia about ten years ago and widely distributed by the Horti- 
cultural Department of the College. 


295 


IV. CULTURAL MEMORANDA. 


JOHN CRAIG. 
I. SOIL. 


Native plums are found growing comfortably upon a 
great variety of soils in this state, along the edges of streams, 
in heavy soil, on thin bluffy land, in drift and in loess. It is 
generally conceded that a clay loam is best adapted to the 
needs of Domesticas, Japanese, Chicasaws and Hortulanas; 
Americanas have been, and are, successfully grown upon light 
sandy soil, yet as a rule they are short lived in such locations. 
They are inclined to overbear on light soils and in many cases 
show undue susceptibility to fungous diseases. There is also 
considerable difference in the adaptibility of different varieties 
to contrasting soils and conditions. These characteristics are 
worth studying. 


2. PLANTING. 


Spring planting is usually preferable to fall planting in 
Iowa. If the trees are received in the fall they should be 
literally buried in the ground ona dry knoll over winter. This 
prevents injury consequent upon drying out of the twigs which 
may occur if they are exposed to frost and wind. As to 
distance between trees, there is considerable diversity of 
opinion. Some advocate very close planting in the row—even 
in hedge rows—with spaces wide enough between the rows to 
allow the passing of the cultivator, while others favor planting 
in squares of liberal size so that cultivating both ways may 
be thoroughly done. Probably there are more mistakes made 
on the side of close planting than the opposite. Vari- 
eties of the Hortulana and Americana groups attain large 
size. For such large growing kinds 20 to 25 feet is not too 
great a distance to set them but is considerably greater than 
they are ever planted. On account of the early and heavy 
bearing habits of native plums they tend to become dwarfed 
and grow slowly after coming into bearing. Close set- 
ting may be practiced with advantage if the grower rigidly 
enforces his resolutions to cut out the ‘‘fillers’ when the 
branches begin to interlace. The planof thoroughly utilizing 


296 


the ground by planting early bearing ‘‘fillers” in the inter- 
spaces one way, is a good one if properly carried out; often 
though, the ‘‘filler” is not cut out as soon as it should be. 
The pollination question should be considered here, but 
it has already been dealt with at page 240, and the reader is 
directed to consult the table submitted. The planter is 
reminded that the proper arrangement of varieties in the plum 
orchard is an important item and should not be overlooked. 


2, CULTIVATION: 


When grown ina small way for home use the chicken 
yard and the plum orchard may often be combined with satis- 
factory results. Poultry will keep down the grass and add 
fertility to the ground, in addition to destroying curculio. 
This kind of cultivation for the amateur plum orchard is highly 
to be commended. The commercial orchard must be treated 
in a different manner. It is not to be expected that plums 
(though we do find well grown specimens in a thicket) will 
wage amore successful war against blue grass, weeds and 
neglect than will other fruit trees. If a man thinks of going 
into plum growing with this policy in mind, there is just one 
piece of advice which should be given and this should be an 
emphatic don’t. The plum orchard should be cultivated! . 
When the orchard is young it is permissible to grow a hoed 
crop, potatoes, root crops, or even corn, provided the trees 
are not crowded and the land is adequately enriched. 
On rich bottom land this double cropping may be decidedly 
advantageous. The practice should consist in plowing 
the orchard in the spring, then disking to pulverize, and har- 
rowing to still further fine the soil. The subsequent cultivating 
may be done by using the smoothing harrow at least once a 
week up till the middle of July. A cover crop should then 
be sown. 


4. PRUNING. 


It is often said that plums, especially native plums, need 
little pruning. In the ordinary usage of the term this is 
probably true. After the trees come into bearing there is but 
little to be done in the way of cutting out interfering branches. 
But considering pruning in the light of a method of training, 
we are of the opinion that just here there is important work. 
In the best orchards of Domesticas in the east young plum 


1. Fora discussion of cover crops, see Bulletin, Iowa Agr. Experiment Station. 


297 


trees are treated much like young peach trees; namely 
headed back closely each year. Thisisto keep the head rounded, 
circumscribe the amount of bearing. wood and prevent the 


YY 


Fig. 25— To illustrate a desirable amount of thinning. (After Goff.) 


formation of long straggling spurless branches. This work is 
done during the dormant season. Our native plums are 
notably rampant growers under cultivation and we have seen 


298 


many young trees break and split down under their first crop 
of fruit owing to badly formed heads. Heading back the 
young wood to the extent of one-half to two-thirds would do 
much to obviate the difficulty... Members of the Wild Goose, 
Miner and Chicasaw groups should always be treated in this 
way. 

5. SPRAYING. 


Progressive fruit growers 
+ now recognize that it is 
| impossible to grow fruit 

| without making special 
warfare against the ene- 
mies which prey upon it. 
Spraying is also an insur- 
ance. Certain forms of 
fungous parasites attack 
| the foliage as well as fruit, 
so that whether a fruit 
crop is in evidence or not 
spraying should go on just 
the same. . Plum rot is an 
important example of this 
kind. Spraying should be 
employed to destroy and 
prevent the spread of the 
’ summer spores, but it is 
oe 1 equally important. to pick 

Fig. 26—FRUIT ROT, MONILTA. (After Bales) off and destroy the ‘‘mum- 
mified” and dried up fruit which too often decorate our orchard 
trees in autumn. (See illustration.) They form centers of in- 
fection from which the disease spreads the next season. Those 
who wish specific information should consuit the spraying 
calendar issued by the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. 


6. THINNING. 


One of the faults of the native plum is its inclination to 
overbear. This produces small fruit and encourages rot. 
Thinning pays not only in the immediate increase in size of 
the fruit, but also as a means of insuring annual crops. A 
tree which overbears one year is likely to take a rest the next 
season. The best time to thin the fruit is soon after the ‘‘June 
drop”, which in itself is an indication that nature is endeavor- 
ing to adjust and distribute the fruit crop so that the strain of 


299 


fruit production may be borne by the strongest parts. Thin- 
ning may be done hastily by shaking the tree, or by hand 
picking. The latter method is undoubtedly the best way 
theoretically. It isa question, however, which plan should be 
adopted in certain cases. It will depend upon the grower, 
his market, and the character of the product. 

Handling and marketing: Native plums intended for 
distant shipment should be picked before they become soft, 
but not until they are well colored. Lack of attention in this 
particular frequently results in large losses. During hot 
weather they ripen rapidly and rot readily in large packages. 
This is also true of the Domesticas and Japanese. 

As to packages, the same rule holds here that applies to 
the marketing of other fruits, namely, that fruits sell best in 
neat and attractive packages. Asa rule the finer the quality 
of the fruit the smaller the package that should be employed. 
The Climax and various forms of veneer baskets are among 
the most desirable shipping receptacles. Plums do not keep 
well in cold storage, so that much dependence should not be 
placed upon this as a means of holding them for more than 
ten days or two weeks. While this is a short period, it often 
means a great deal when the market is glutted. 

The. following by Fred- 
eric Cranefield (Rural New 
Yorker, 1899, page 798) is 
pithy and pointed: ‘‘The 
greatest drawback at present 
in marketing is the ‘wild 
plum.’ These are invariably 
small, poor in quality, over- 
ripe, and brought to market 

ae in a potato basket, and al- 

_- *~ ways wet and sticky from ex- 

uding juice. These are sold 

ih 3 Se aes at prices that demoralize the 
Fig. 27—Showing suckering tendency of 

Americana stocks. market, . for unfortunately, 

the buying public has not been educated to seek the choicer 

varieties of natives in preference to ‘wild plums.’ The remedy 

lies entirely with the grower, Grow but a few of the best 

varieties and establish a reputation for these by offering them 

only under the varietal name, as: Wyant, Quaker, etc., as 

is done with other fruits. It is, of course, unnecessary to say 

that only sound fruit should be offered for sale. Ten-pound 


300 


grape baskets are probably the neatest and most economical 

package to use. The plums should be picked as soon.as well 

colored, and not allowed to ripen fully on the tree. They 

will ripen quite as well and keep much longer in this way if 
99 


kept in a dark place. 


7. STOCKS. 


These are to 
be consid ered 
with special ref- 

erence, to the 

class of plums 
to be propa- 
gated. 

America fal: 
The best stock 
for this class is 
undoubtedly 
seedlings of va- 

ah) | rieties belong- 
NC - ing to the same 
iN type. Pits are 
. easily collected 
> “an? Sr 6a 
| grown. If pits 
are stratified, 
(~ frozenandsown 
in nursery row 
in the spring a 
large percent- 
age will be large 
enough to bud 
at the proper 
time in August. 
Root grafting 
i may also be em- 
Fig. 28. ployed, though 

The scion may be crowded out. @. Shoot from scion. 0. 


Upper end of scion. ¢. Strong ‘shoot which came from stock the operation 1S 
below point of union and smothered scion, less sure in its 


results. | Myrobalan, Marianna or peach should not be used 
in propagating Americanas in Iowa.! 


_ 1. Sand cherry (Prunus Besseyi) gives promise of furnishing a hardy stock for Amer- 
icana, Chicasaw and Japanese plums. It has a dwarfing effect upon the variety worked 
upon it and may have special value in this direction. See Bulletin 44 Iowa Exp. Station. 


301 


One of the objections to using Americana stocks is the 
well known sprouting proclivities of thisclass. If Americanas 
are budded or grafted on the same stock it is a very easy 
thing to mistake a sprout from the stock, for a shoot from the 
bud or scion. If the substitution is not noticed the first 
season it is all the more difficult to detect the next year. In 
the operation of pruning and trimming nursery trees, which 
is often done hastily with poorly skilled laborers, these sprout 
interlopers are frequently overlooked. In Figure 28 at (@) is 
shown the real scion; (c) illustrates a strong shoot which was 
thrown up from an adventitious bud which appeared the first 


Fig. 29. 


Burbank root grafted on sand cherry, Ames. 


year, at the base of the graft. When the tree was three years 
old it was a matter of fine discernment to distinguish between 
the scion and the sprout. Mistakes of this kind, while they 
frequently give rise to new varieties, oftener bring disappoint- 
ment to the planter. 

The sprouting tendencies of the native plum are much 
encouraged by deep cultivation. This is well shown in Fig. 
27. Like the poplars, the more the roots are disturbed the 
more vigorously do they protest against this disturbance by 
throwing up a luxuriant crop of sprouts. A good deal of this 
sprouting is of the kind which springs at or near the base of 


302 


the scion, which might be obviated by making the union just 
a little below the collar and by carefully removing all incipi- 
ent and partially developed buds which may be apparent at 
that point. Of course, these latter remarks have special ref- 
erence to propagation by grafting. | 
Members of the Chicasaw, Wildgoose and Miner groups 
succeed on Americana, which is best for Iowa, and, of course, 
upon seedlings of their own types respectively. They may be 
also interworked success- 
fully. Domesticas and 
Japanese do best on 
Myrobalan, Marianna or 
peach. These are all 
likely to suffer root in- 
jury in cold, snowless 
winters. They should 
not be planted in the 
north part of the state, 
and whenever employed 
in Iowa should be set 
‘deeply and mulched dur- 
ing cold winters. 


Sun SLOP ING. 


This is often suggested 
aS a means of increasing 
the hardiness of the 
Japan and European va- 
rieties. Americanastocks 
are commended for the 

purpose. In our experi- 

Burbank NAMEN BO, Vay kas Top ence this method is at- 
outgrows stock, Ames. tended by very poor suc- 

cess. There seems to be an evident incompatibility between 
scion and stock. This has already been referred to in con- 
nection with the ordinary methods of propagation. While 
the union at first appears to be fairly satisfactory, the top, 
- whether European or Japanese, invariably outgrows the stock. 
Burbank plums topgrafted in the station orchard grew and 
reached fruiting age in about four years. In seven years after 
topgrafting their condition is faithfully illustrated by the ac- 
companying photograph. The Americana stock appears to 
become ‘‘hidebound,” refusing to grow, while the scion part 


work 


308 


develops strongly and soon becomes topheavy. Inthestation 
orchard the trees manifested a decided tendency to split or 
break off either at or just above the point of union. We do 
not think that this method of propagation can be regarded as 
pratical, except between members of thé same group or type. 
In other words, it is not wise to place Domesticas or Japa- 
nese upon Americanas or vice versa. Mr. Speer’s experience, 
as illustrated by the accompanying photograph, suggests that 
members of the Wildgoose tribe will find in Americana a 
fairly congenial stock. It is well to look upon this, however. 
as the exception. It should also be stated that slitting the 
bark of the stock is usually a necessary operation whenever 
stone fruits are stock grafted. 


Higiwole 


Wildgoose, topgrafted on Black Hawk, 25 years old, at 
Cedar Falls, Iowa. 


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Bulletin 73. September, 1894. 
Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
BOTANICAL DIVISION. 


LEAR CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 


CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE 
OF THE PRUNICOLOUS EXOASCEA OF THE 
UNITED STATES. 


By GEO. F. ATKINSON. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 
1894. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL. 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN, 


Hon. A. D. WHITE, - - - - Trustee of the University. 
Hon. JOHN B. DUTCHER, - - President State Agricultural Society. 
Professor I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - - Agriculture. 
Professor G. C. CALDWELL, - - - - - Chemistry. 
Professor JAMES LAW, - - - - - Veterinary Science. 
Professor A. N. PRENTISS, ; - Aa et - Botany. 
Professor J. H. COMSTOCK, - - - - - Entomology. 
Professor L. H. BAILEY, - - - - - Horticulture. 
Professor H. H. WING, - - : Dairy Husbandry. 
Professor G. F. ATKINSON, - - - Cryptogamic Botany. 


OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 


I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - ~ Director, 
EK. L. WILLIAMS, - - - - - - Treasurer, 
H. W. SMITH, : . - - - - Clerk. 
ASSISTANTS. 
M. V. SLINGERLAND, - - - - Entomology. 
GEo. C. WATSON, - - - - - Agriculture. 
G. W. CAVANAUGH, - - - - . Chemistry. 
E.G. LODEMAN, - - - . - Horticulture. 
MICHAEL BARKER, - - - - Horticulture. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 


Those desiring this Bulletin sent to friends will please send us the names 
of the parties. 


BULLETINS OF 1894. 


62. The Japanese Plums in North America. 

63. Co-operative Test of Sugar Beets. 

64. On Certain Grass-Hating Insects. 

65. Tuberculosis in Relation to Animal Industry and Public 
Health. 

66. ‘Test of Cream Separators. 

67. Some Recent Chinese Vegetables. 

68. The Cultivated Poplars. 

69. Hints on the Planting of Orchards. 

70. The Native Dwarf Cherries. 

71. Apricot Growing in Western New York. 

72. The Cultivation of Orchards. 

73. Leaf Curl and Plum Pockets. 


Pyar CURL AND VPLUMSPOCKETS. 


CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRU- 
NICOLOUS EXOASCEKA OF THE UNITED STATES. 


The distortions of the leaves of the genus Prunus known 
popularly as leaf curl, and the hollow, spongy, abnormally en- 
larged fruits commonly called ‘* plum pockets,” or ‘‘ plum blad- 
ders,’ are caused by certain fungi belonging to the family 
Exoascee. ‘The Exoascee are composed largely of parasitic species 
which live upon many of the higher plants and are especially 
abundant upon the Rosacee. The family is characterized by the 
possession of fruit structures, termed asci, which are approximately 
cylindrical and stand, more or less crowded together, out upon 
the surface of the affected portions of their hosts. 

Several attempts have been made to establish genera for what 
seemed to be natural divisions into which the members of the 
family grouped themselves. ‘These genera were based principally 
upon the number of spores in the ascus. The known spore char- 
acters, however, in this family are so remarkably inconstant that 
nothing more than an unsatisfactory artificial classification has 
thus far been proposed upon that basis. Sadebeck* has recently 
proposed a more natural subdivision of the parasitic Exoascee. 
Those species in which the asci are not developed from a common 
subcuticular hymenium, but from theends of intercellular hyphee 
are made the ground for a new genus, M/agnustella. ‘This genus 
is represented in the United States by the well known JZ. foten- 
fillet (Farl.) Sadeb., upon /otentzilla canadensis. ‘Those species 


* Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Eine Monographie. Abgedruck. a. d. 
Jahrbuch d. Hamb, Wiss. Anstalten. x. 2, Hamburg, 1893. 


+ Exoascus deformans (Berk.) Fuckel var. potentillee Farlow, Proceedings 
Amer. Acad. Arts and Sciences, XVIII, 1883, p. 84. Taphrina potentillz 
Johanson, Oefvers. af. Kgl. Vet.-Akad Forh. 1885. Magnusiella potentille 
Sadeb. Abgedr. a. d. Jahrb, d. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. x. 2. 1893, p. 86. 


320 BULLETIN 73. 


in which the asci are developed from a common subcuticular hy- 
menium are farther divided into two genera. ‘Those with a per- 
ennial mycelium are placed in the Fuckelian genus A voascus, 
while those lacking a perennial mycelium are placed in the Frie- . 
sian genus Zaphrina. Taphrinaas thus emended contains species 
in which a new infection each year is brought about by spores. 
A common representative of the genus in this country is 7. coeru- 
lescens* (Mont. et Desm.) Tul. The species of Axsascus having 
a perennial mycelium, a new infection each year is secured by the 
mycelium which winters over in the tissues of the host, and by 
the spores. 

The prunicolous species of /xoascee thus far known all belong 
to the genus Axoascus. ‘These have for the present purpose the 
chief interest and farther discussion of the other two genera is 
not contemplated here. 

Considerable material has accumulated during a period of ob- 
‘ servation extending over five years, which seemed to justify the 
preparation of the matter for publication. Especially does this 
seem to be the case since no comprehensive illustrated account of 
those species occurring on the stone fruits in the United States 
has as yet been attempted. The economic importance of the 
stone fruits suggested the appropriateness of presenting the con- 
tribution as a bulletin for the information of fruit growers, since 
a knowledge of the known characteristics and mode of perpetua- 
tion of the parasites will aid those interested in checking or pre- 
venting the injuries. 

In making a critical examination of the material at hand it 
appeared that there were several well characterised undescribed 
species, a fact which was not anticipated at the outset. Thisisa 
sufficient explanation of the necessary use of much technical 
description in a portion of the paper. 

No part of the plant is exempt from the attacks of these fungi 
except the roots. The first marked effects of their active presence 
in the tissues of the host is the stimulus to an increase in the 
number or size of the cells so that characteristic malformations of 
the diseased parts appear. In the leaves the increase in the num- 


* Ascomyces coerulescens Mont. et Desm. Ann. d. Sci. Nat. Bot. ser. 3, x. 
p- 345. Taphrinacoerulescens Tulasne, Ann. d. Sci. Nat. Bot. ser. 5, v. p. 127. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 321 


ber of the cells of the diseased portion causes that part of the leaf 
to arch upward or downward in a series of irregular folds, or a 
somewhat circular spot becomes strongly arched in one direction 
forming a deep, wide mouthed pocket. The twigs become en- 
larged in diameter and variously contorted, or an early develop- 
ment of the buds is stimulated producing what are commonly 
called ‘‘ witches brooms.’’ ‘The fruit becomes transformed into 
a large spongy mass of tissue, which is hollow and devoid of the 
“stone’’ or ‘‘pit;’’ or only one side of the fruit is affected when 
irregular one sided swellings of similar tissue are developed. The 
floral envelopes in some species partake also of the hypertrophy, 
and in other cases only the superficial portion of the fruit is affected 
when the ‘‘stone’’ is normally developed. In the latter case 
sometimes a warted condition of the fruit appears. The young 
leaf buds of some species are transformed into a large spongy 
hollow mass, much resembling in texture the tissue of the ‘‘ plum 
pockets.’”” A number of these characteristic hypertrophied parts 
of various plant organs are illustrated in photographic reproduc- 
tions in Plates I-X. 

Mycelium. In all of the species at present known on the genus 
Prunus, with one exception,* the mycelium penetrates to some 
depth in the tissues, but it is always intercellular. It is quite 
characteristic and can usually be readily differentiated from the 
mycelium of other fungi when examined in situ. It is very irre- 
gular in its course and the size of itscells. These are cylindrical, 
oblong, clavate, or oval, and are joined in an irregular chain 
without order between the cells of the host. The mycelium may 
be quite abundantin some species so that when the other intercel- 
lular substances and portions of the cell walls of the host are dis- 
solved out by the use of chloral hydrate, and differentiated by the 
use of some of the stains like eosin, it presents a very intricate 
network of threads. In other species or in parts of the plant 
not so seriously affected, or in parts where the mycelium is pass- 
ing the winter, it is more scanty, frequently consisting of isolated, 
oval or irregularly oblong cells. 


* Exoascus minor Sadebeck, Kritische Untersuch. u, d. durch Taphrina- 
Arten hervorgebr.. Baumkrankheiten. Abgedruck. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. 
Wiss. Anst. VIII, 1891, p. 24. 


322 BULLETIN 73. 


Hymenium. From the interior of the tissues the mycelium 
grows to the surface and spreads, by branching, out over the epi- 
dermal cells just beneath the cuticle. The cells of the subcutic- 
ular layer soon become nearly isodiametric and are usually de- 
veloped in such numbers that eventually they are closely crowded, 
when they become angular in outline. By a less profuse develop- 
ment they may appear as variously branched chains of oval cells. 
These subcuticular cells are very rich in protoplasm, much more 
so than the cells wit hin the tissue. They make up what is called 
thehymenium. In figure 81 is shown a section of a portion of a 
deformed bud of Prunus angustifolia presenting the intercellular- 
mycelium and young hymenium of Axoascus mirabilis Atkinson. 
In fig. 83 is represented a surface view of a portion of the hymen- 
ium of the same species. 

Each of the cells of the hymenium elongates perpendicularly to 
the surface, forming cylindrical or clavate cells which divide by a 
‘septum into two cells, the septum usually being near the base. 
The inner cell is the stalk cell while the outer cell is the ascus or 
fruiting cell. In each ascus there are developed a variable num- 
ber of spores, usually four or eight. These are rounded, oval, or 
elliptical in form, and are colorless. At normal maturity a per- 
foration usually occurs at the apex of the ascus and the spores are 
ejected with considerable force. The ascus becomes turgescent 
by endosmosis, this produces a pressure upon the walls and a 
rupture occurs at the weakest point, which is at the apex. 
De Bary* says that the ejection of the spores takes place in a 
manner exactly similar to that in various species of other Dis- 
comycetes which he examined. I have several times watched 
under the microscope the expulsion of the spores of some of the 
Discomycetes like Dasyscypha virginea (Batsch) Fuckel, Propolis 
Jaginea (Schrad.) Karst. 7richopeziza capitata (Peck) Sacc., and 
others. In the Pyrenomycetes I have watched the same phenom- 
enon in the case of Spherella pyri Auersw. By mounting speci- 
mens which are not too old in fresh water and immediately noting 
the asci under the microscope they can be seen to become turges- 


* Exoascus pruni und die Taschen oder Narren der Pflaumenbaume, Beit- 
rage z. Morph. u. Phys. d. Pilze, Erst. Reihe. Abgedruck. a. d. Abhandl. d. 
Senkenb. Naturf. Gesellsch, Bd. V, pp. 183 and 184, Frankfurt, 1886. 


ee 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 323 


cent and finally a rupture occurs at the apex and the spores are 
shot out suddenly. Usually the spores are all shot out together 
from a single ascus. De Bary* and Rathayt both placed freshly 
gathered specimens of A:voascus on a glass slip in a moist atmos- 
phere and after several hours the glass was covered a distance of 
1 cm. from the specimen with the spores, which formed a white 
ring around it. 

When the fungus is mature the affected parts of the plant pre- 
sent a whitish or mealy aspect caused by the numbers of asci and 
free spores. | 

Hach spore in water or in nutrient solutions is capable of pro- 
ducing, by a process of budding similar to that of the yeast plant, 
smaller and similar cells. In water the parent spore becomes by 
this process smaller also. This frequently takes place within the 
ascus when the spores are not expelled at maturity, so that after a 
while the ascus is quite well filled with these small conidia. 
DeBary,{ BrefeldS and Sadebeck|| record the results of attempts 
to grow the spores in artificial media. In nocase was a mycelium 
observed to develop, but budding always took place where any 
growth appeared. By placing spores on the young leaf buds, 
or better on the leaves of seedlings, Sadebeck4§/ succeeded in 
observing the entrance of a mycelium in the leaves of Alnus. 
The species experimented with was Z-voascus tosquinetit (Westend) 
Sadeb. The mycelium was observed to enter through the stomata 
into the tissues. 

We can now enter into a more detailed discussion of the hyper- 


* Thid. 

+ Ueber die Hexenbesen der Kirschbaume, und Exoascus wiesneri n. sp’ 
Sitzungsb. d. Math.-Naturw. Classe d. k. Akad. d. Wiss. Bd. LXXXIII, 
Abth. I, p. 280, Wien, 1881. 

{ Exoascus pruni ete. Beitrage z. Morph. u. Phys. d. Pilze, Erst. Reihe, 
Abgd. a. d. Senkenb. Naturf. Ges. Bd. V. pp. 185, 186; 1886. 

2 Unters. a. d. Gesammtgeb. d. Mykol. Heft IX, pp. 142, 144, Munster, 1891. 

|| Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Abgdruck. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. Wiss. 
Anst. X, 2 p. 13; 1893. 

Unters. u. d. Pilzgattung EHxoascus und die durch dieselbe um Hamburg 
hervorgerufen Baumkrankheiten. Abgedruck. a. d. Jahrb. d. Wiss. Anst. p. 
102; 1883. Hamburg. 

Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ibid. X, 2, p. 13; 1893. 


324 BULLETIN 73. 


trophied organs of the various species of Prunus, and the mor- 
phology and structure of the infecting species of Axoascea. 


PRUNUS PERSICA (J,). Peach. 
E-xoascus deformans (Berk.) Fuckel. 


The leaves and twigs are the only portions of the peach tree 
which are at present known to be affected with the fungus. The 
leaves are more commonly the place for the injury to be shown, 
and the twigs are but rarely attacked seriously or so as to attract 
attention. During June, 1894, I observed a tree on the Cornell 
University Campus having the leaf ‘‘curl’’ and a few of the ends 
of certain twigs were abnormally enlarged, though but slightly. 
One of these is reproduced from a photograph in Plate I, Fig. 1. 
The petioles of the leaf are also hypertrophied and profusely cor- 
rugated. From the petioles the hypertrophy can be seen to 
extend part way on the stem. Scribner* notes quite a serious 
injury to young shoots of nursery trees received from New York 
and transplanted at Knoxville, Tenn. The shoots for several 
inches below the leaf bud were considerably enlarged and pre- 
sented a very much roughened or corrugated surface. 

The disease in the leaves produces the distortions which are 
commonly spoken of as “‘leaf curl.’’ With the increase in the 
number and size of the cells of the affected part the leaf is thrown 
into a series of irregular folds frequently transversely to the long 
axis of the leaf. Sometimes the arching of the leaf takes place 
more strongly on one side than on the other when a strong con- 
vexity appears on that side. When a large portion of the lear 
is thus affected it frequently bulges out on one side along the 
middle and the edges of the leaf are drawn toward each other, 
the leaf appearing as if strongly inflated. In the affected por- 
tions of the leaf the green color pales and the parts are more or 
less brightly colored with reddish or yellowish tints. The leat 
tissue at these parts is also thickened and assumes a ‘“‘cartilagin- 
ous”? consistence. The parenchyma cells are frequently very 
much elongated and curved or sinuous in form. The mycelium 
is perennial in the leaf buds, that is, it passes the late summer, 
autumn and winter months in the tissue of the leaf buds and in 


* Fungus diseases of the grape and other plants, p. 126. 18go. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 325 


the following spring grows out with the developing leaf, multiply- 
ing more abundantly in certain portions than in others at times. 
This accounts for the fact that the whole area of the leaf is not at 
all times affected. 

The persistence of the mycelium during the autumn and winter 
seasons in the leaf buds is probably the chief cause of the spread 
of the disease. When buds are taken for ‘‘ budding” young 
seedlings in the nursery, if they are taken from an affected tree 
the disease is quite sure to be transmitted to every young tree 
which is started from a bud which contains the perennial mycel- 
ium. Since all of the affected leaves fall off from diseased trees 
at quite an early period, and at the time of budding the seedlings 
in August there is probably no sign of the curl in any of the 
leaves, it would be impossible to discriminate between the dis- 
eased and healthy trees, or the affected and free branches. An 
early selection of healthy trees for budding purposes would pre- 
vent the transmission of the disease through nursery stock. 

Some experiments have been made in various places by spray- 
ing the trees with the Bordeaux mixture for the prevention of the 
leaf curl of peach trees. Some of the experimenters regard it as 
certain that the disease can to some extent be checked by this 
method. It is quite likely that, in some cases at least, another 
disease is confused with the leaf curl, and this fact might account 
in those instances for the results claimed. More definite experi- 
ments with an accurate determination of the diseases present 
should be made before too much can be claimed for the efficacy of 
the application of sprays for the prevention of this trouble. 

The asci are developed on both surfaces of the leaf. Before 
the young asci pierce through the cuticle in their development 
they frequently raise the cuticle somewhat when it appears on 
drying as a thin whitish glistening membrane. The asci are 
nearly cylindrical, sometimes slightly clavate, and rounded or 
truncate at the free ends. They measure 25-40 long by 8-11 in 
diameter, the larger number possessing intermediate measure- 
ments and being 30-35 by g-10. ‘The stalk cells are 6-8 high 
and 6-9 or 10 in diameter. They frequently taper considerably 


* Measurements where not otherwise stated are given in terms of the 
micromillimeter. 


326 BULLETIN 73. 


toward the base and often are quite sharp pointed. Occasionally 
where they are not much crowded the stalk cell is considerably 
broader, attaining a diameter quite equal to that of the ascus at 
its distal end, while it will be broader than the lower end of the 
ascus. ‘The pointed ends of the stalk cells frequently intrude 
somewhat between the cells of the epidermis. 

The number of spores in an ascus is usually eight or approx- 
imately that number. They are rounded or oval and measure 
3-4 in diameter. Sometimes the number is quite constantly four 
in a large number of asci and then the diameter is considerably 
greater, reaching 5 or 6. Asci with only four spores were found 
by me quite frequently on specimens of peach leaves distributed 
in Seymour and Earle’s Economic Fungi, Fasc. I No. 14, and 
collected in Temple, N. H., June 18, 1888. A few of these are 
illustrated in fig. 21. Sadebeck* records the same variation in 
the case of Axoascus epiphyllus, L.. farlowit, Taphrina ulmz, T. 
bullata, and others. Brefeld} suggested that according to the 
custom of some authors in using the number of spores as a basis 
for the separation of genera that the four spored Axoascee should 
be separated from the eight spored ones. Hight spored asci, 
however, present very great variations in a number of Ascomy- 
cetes so that in asci from the same perithecium there may be four, 
six or eight spored asci. Several species of Zezchospora may be 
cited as examples of this. 


PRuNuUS AviumM Ll. English Cherry. 
f:xoacus cerast (Fuckel) Sadeb. 


This species, E-xoacus cerast (Fuckel) Sadeb. has been found on 
‘‘escaped cherry trees’’ at Germantown, Pa., by Prof. Thomas 
Meehan. It was distributed in Ellis, N.A.F. No. 2286, as Axo- 
ascus wiesnert Rathay. 

This fungus forms the well known ‘‘ witches aE ’ of Pru- 
nus avium and P. cerasus in Europe. ‘The mycelium is perennial 
in the affected twigs, the fructification only showing upon the 
leaves. In response to an inquiry Professor Meehan writes that 


* Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Abgedruck. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamburg. 
Wiss. Anst. X, 2, pp. 8-9. 1893. 


{ Unters. a. d. Gesammt. d. Mykol. IX, p. 144, Miinster, 1891. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. B27 


the twigs are not deformed, but instead of forming spurs, or 
flower buds, as in ordinary branches, twigs are produced and this 
gives the broomy appearance. The presence of the mycelium 
thus stimulates an early and profuse development of twigs so close 
together that it roughly stimulates a broom. The asci in the 
specimens which I have seen occur on the under side of the leaf, 
though Robinson* says they occur on both surfaces. The leaf is 
deformed, presenting a series of folds and wrinkles, and the fruc- 
tification shows as.a dense whitish layer on the surface. The 
fungus was first described by Fuckel} as Exoascus deformans b, 
cerast. Rathay{ made a critical study of the perennial mycelium 
and the peculiarities of the infected branches, and named the 
fungus /-xoascus wiesnert. It has been considered by many as 
only a form of Axvoascus deformans (Berk.) Fuckel, and Robin- 
son|| refers it to that species though he notes that the asci are 
much more slender than those of the typical form on the peach, 
the stalk cells proportionately much longer and they do not taper 
below as in that species. Sadebeck§ regards it as a distinct 
species but accepts the varietal name given it by Fuckel and 
writes it Hxoascus cerast (Fuckel) Sadeb. It appears to me that 
it is well distinct from the species on the peach. 

The asci are cylindrical and rounded or truncate at the free 
ends. According to Sadebeck4] in the European specimens they 
measure 35-50 long by 7-10 in diameter. He remarks that there 
is great variability in the size of the asci. In the specimens from 
Germantown, Pa., which I have seen the asci measure 25-33, 
long by 6-9 in diameter. ‘The stalk cells 10-17 high by 5-7 in 
diameter. The more common length for the asci is about 30. 
The spores are approximately eight in an ascus, and are round or 
oval. ‘The details of the asci and spores are shown in fig. 25. 


* Notes on the genus Taphrina. Ann Bot. I, p. 169, 1887-8. 

tSymb. Mycol. p. 252, 1869. 

t Ueber die Hexenbesen der Kirschbaume und tiber Exoascus wiesneri, n. 
sp. Sitzungsb. d. Math. Naturw. Classe d. k. Akad. d. Wiss. Bd LXXXIII, 
Abth. I, p. 267, Wien, 1881. 

|| Notes on the genus Taphrina. Ann. Bot. I, p. 168-169, 1887-3. 

¢ Kritische Unters. uber die durch Taphrina-Arten hervorgebrachten Bauim- 
krankheiten, Abgedruck. a. d. Jahrb. Hamb. Wiss Anst. VIII, p. 26, 1891. 

{| Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ibid, x, 2, p. 49, 1893. 


328 BULLETIN 73. 


PRUNUS PENNSYLVANICA IL. Wild Red Cherry. 
Exoascus tnsititie Sadeb. 


I have referred to this species, specimens collected by Seymour 
at Temple, N. H., June 16, 1888, on the leaves of Prunus penn- 
sylvanica I, It was distributed as Zaphrina deformans (Berk.) 
Tul., in Seymour and Harle’s Economic Fungi, No. 15. The 
specimen in the collection to which I have had access shows 
several small twigs curved to one side growing from the end of a 
larger twig. ‘The specimen has very much the appearance of a 
small ‘‘ witches broom.’’ The young twigs are pale and slender, 
and the leaves are not much deformed, the upper surface being 
somewhat folded, while a large portion of the under surface is 
covered with the asci which give them a greyish white appear- 
ance. The mycelium is present in the inner tissue of the leaf but 
is not nearly so abundant as in the peach. 

The asci are quite regularly smaller than those of £. deformans 
on the peach. Through the kindness of Mr. J. B. Ellis I have 
had the opportunity of seeing a specimen of this species on P. 
domestica from Sweden, and the asci are very much nearer those 
on that specimen than on the peach. In the measurements given 
by Sadebeck the asci are 25 long by 8-10 in diameter, which 
agrees quite well with the specimens on P. pennsylvanica, though 
on the latter some specimens measure 30 long, but the average is 
near 25. ‘The stalk cells are 6-8 high by 7-9 in diameter and 
taper in many cases a little below, and then frequently intruding 
slightly between the cells of the epidermis. ‘The measurements 
given for the stalk cells by Sadebeck are slightly larger, being 8 
high by 8-1o in diameter. Aside from these slight variations it 
agrees very well with Sadebeck’s species. It was first described 
by Sadebeck* from specimens on Prunus insititia and was later 
‘found by him on Prunus domestica. It forms ‘‘ witches brooms’’ 
on both these trees in Europe. 


* Unters. u. d. Pilzgattung Exoascus etc. Abgedruck.a.d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. 
Wiss. Anst. p. 113, 1884. 

Kritische Unters. u. d. durch Taphrina-Arten etc. Ibid, VIII, p. 27, 1891. 

Die parasiten Exoasceen. Ibid, X, 2, p. 48, 1893. 


LEAF CuRL AND PLUM POCKETS. 329 


PRUNUS DOMESTICA L. Plum. 
Exoascus prunt Fuckel. 


This fungus forms the well known ‘ plum pockets,’’ or ‘‘ plum 
bladders’’ on the fruit Prunus domestica, the common cultivated 
plum. The mycelium is perennial in the fruit bearing branches 
and from these places grows out into the young ovaries in the 
spring. All or nearly all parts of the ovary are affected and the 
fungus stimulates the tissue of the ovary so that a remarkable 
hypertrophy occurs. The tissues become dry and spongy, the 
form of the plum being considerably enlarged. No stone is de- 
veloped in the diseased plums and the interior is hollow and fre 
quently traversed by loose threads of torn tissue. All of the plums 
on an affected tree are not usually affected, though I recollect see- 
ing a tree in Chapel Hill, N. C., in the spring of 1886, on which 
there was not a single plum free from the disease. Frequently 
there are plums unaffected in the same cluster with the diseased 
ones. 

The asci are very closely crowded together and frequently may 
develop quite irregularly, a few pushing through the cuticle first, 
followed later by others. A section of an affected fruit at this 
time would then show some asci very long and mature while 
others are not quite mature and the spores undifferentiated. 
There are many cells of the hymenium intermingled with the asci. 
The asci measure, in specimens which I have seen on P. domestica 
from Wisconsin, 30-60 long by 7-10 in diamter, and the stalk 
cells 15-22 high by 3-7 in diameter are rounded, or rarely pointed 
below. The longer asci are nearly cylindrical and many of the 
shorter ones slightly clavate. The spores are oval to elliptical, 
and from 3.5-5 in diameter. The measurements given by Sade- 
beck show a greater diameter, the ascus reaching a diameter as 
high as 15, and the stalk cell being given as 8 in diameter. 

Robinson* speaks of a dimorphism in the asci, the slender ones 
being 43-60 long and 5.5-7 in diameter, while the stouter ones 
were 27-35 long by 9-12 in diameter. The size of the stalk cells 
he gives as 12-18 high by 5-8 in diameter. He also notes the 
fact that nearly all the asci which he examined were more slender 


* Notes on the genus Taphrina. Ann. Bot. I, p. 166-7, 1887-8. 


330 BULLETIN 73. 


in proportion to their length than those described by Sadebeck. 
I have seen specimens probably of this species on Prunus domestica 
in North, and South Carolina, but unfortunately did not preserve 
any of them. 

The shoots of Prunus domestica are sometimes deformed and 
enlarged bearing mature asci, the structure somewhat resem- 
bling that on the twigs of Prunus angustifolia Marshall. Prof. 
Halsted sent me some specimens collected at Manalapan, N. J. 
They are very old and overrun by some species of Glocosporium 
so that it is not safe, it seems to me to attempt to decide what the 
species is. Some of the asci are illustrated in fig. 69. 


PRUNUS SEROTINA Ehrhart. Black Wild Cherry. 
Exoascus farlowit Sadebeck. 


The ovaries of Prunus serotina are deformed by this species, 
the fruit becoming a spongy mass of tissue which is hollow within 
much as in the case of the fruit of . domestica when affected by 
E. prunt. ‘The ovaries are proportionately much more elongated, 
spindle shaped and curved, the end usually tapering to a long 
point. The floral envelopes are also hypertrophied and become 
persistent, which is not the case with &. Arunz on the fruit of 
P. domestica. 

The species was, first described by Sadebeck* in 1890, from 
material collected by Dr. Farlow at Cambridge, Mass. In the 
material which Sadebeck examined he found the asci not crowded, 
but separated from each other, and this peculiarity, along with 
characters of the ascus and stalk cells, caused him to separate it 
from £. prunzt, to which it had doubtfully been referred.t The 
distant asci, especially in the material examined by myself, does 
not seem to be a constant character, or even a frequent one, and 
I have examined quantities of material from Alabama, some from 
Canada, and some from Cambridge, collected by Dr. Farlow, and 
also by Halsted. ‘The characters given by Sadebeck must then 


* Kritische Unters. u. d. durch Taphrina-Arten, etc... Ab. a..d, Jahrbea) 
Hamb. Wiss. Anst. VIII, p. 30, 1891. See also Die parasiten Exoasceen, 
Ibid, X, 2, p. 47, 1893. 

+ Robinson, Notes on the genus Taphrina, Ann. Bot. I, p. 167, 1887-8 
Ellis’ N. A. F. No. 298. Here it is called E. pruni. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 331 


be modified so as to include the specimens with closely crowded 
asci. It is possible in specimens where the hymenium has not 
become evenly distributed over the surface that a section would 
show some asci which were considerably separated. But not 
taking this character into consideration I should consider it a dis- 
tinct species from /. prunz. In 1889 I found a small quantity of 
this species in South Carolina, at Columbia. During the years 
1890-93 I observed it as very common in Alabama, at Auburn. 
Quite large trees would have nearly all the fruit destroyed each 
year by it. 3 

The asci are cylindrical and rounded or truncate at the free 
ends. They measure 20-33 long by 8-12 in diameter. The 
stalk cells are 12-20 high by 8-12 in diameter, averaging about 
one-third the length of the entire fruit body. These measure- 
ments give a greater diameter than that given by Sadebeck, 8-9 
being the diameter given by him for the asci and stalk cells. 
The stalk cells frequently taper somewhat below and intrude 
themselves slightly between the cells of the epidermis at times. 
The mycelium I have not found to be so abundant in the tissues 
as is the case with 4. prunz on P. domestica. ‘The spores are 
more constantly rounded:in form being approximately spherical, 
and are 3-4 in diameter. See figures 34-36. 


E’xoascus vartus 1. Sp. 


The leaves of Prunus serotina are frequently affected with a 
species of Axoascus which produces a folding or arching of the 
leaf. During the years 1890-3 I observed this to be very com- 
mon and injurious on many treesin Alabama. In fact the same 
trees which were affected with the £. farlow7? on the fruit had 
their leaves also badly affected. The shoots also were much 
deformed and sometimes enlarged, but there was not observed 
any tendency to the formation of ‘‘ witches’ brooms.’’ Nor were 
any of the twigs observed to bear the asci. The deformity of the 
twigs-or shoots occurred at the ends of the leafy branches, the 
leaves of the same being also diseased. Figures 13 and 14 are 
from photographs taken from living specimens. ‘The deformity 
of the leaves and ends of the branches can be well seen. It is 
quite remarkable that the fruit of the same branches is also 


B32 j BULLETIN 73. 


affected, and this is well shown in the same illustrations. Large 
trees, thirty and forty feet in height, presented a very interesting 
sight and were noticeable for a considerable distance on account 
of the defective foliage, and especially from the brown and dead 
colors which succeeded the dying of badly affected leaves. The 
two forms, the one on the fruit and the one on the leaves, were 
so common on the same trees and so closely associated that many 
times I have been strongly inclined to consider them one and the 
same species. This inclination has been strengthened by a study 
of the structure of the fungus, for in many cases the asci and 
stalk cells on the leaves are very much like those of £. farvlowzz 
on the fruit, as can be seen by a reference to figures 26-31. In 
fig. 26 the asci measure 20-27 long by 8-10 in diameter and the 
stalk cells are 12-17 high by 8-10 in diameter. These are the 
largest ones which I have noted and they come very near to 
typical ones of £. farlowz? on the fruit. In fig. 27 the asci and 
stalk cells possess the same proportionate lengths, but the entire 
fruit body is shorter, while the width is the same. Specimens 
occur, however, in which the proportion between the length of 
the ascus and stalk cells is different and the stalk cell may be 
only one-fourth as long as the entire fruit body instead of one- 
third, and the relation of the form to that of 4. deformans becomes 
more apparent. But at the same time the stalk cell preserves 
quite constantly the same or nearly the same diameter as the 
ascus, and in a larger number of cases it is much longer than 
that of the latter species. Specimens on the leaves from Smyrna, 
Del., communicated by Mr. J. B. Ellis, present much the same 
characters, and some of the variations are illustrated in figs. 30, 
31. Specimens on the leaves from Temple, N. H., collected by 
Mr. A. B. Seymour, also agree in these characters, as shown by 
some of the asci illustrated in fig. 32. The spores are rounded 
and four to eight in an ascus. 

A form similar to this I collected at Columbia, S. C., in the 
spring of 1889. A few leaves of a shoot which grew from the 
base of a large tree were affected. Unfortunately these specimens 
are now lost. On the same tree, but not near the affected leaves 
were a few of the fruits affected by Z. farlowzz. I should still be 
strongly of the opinion that the fungus on the leaves of P. serotina 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 333 


were but a leaf form of /. farlowiz if it were not for the fact that 
I have observed two very different species of Avoascus growing in 
very close proximity to each other on the same tree, so close in 
fact that it is quite probable the mycelium of the two was inter- 
mingled in the branch which bore the affected fruits and leaves. 
These occur on Prunus americana under which paragraph the 
description of the species will be found. Another reason for con- 
sidering them distinct species is the probable fact that usually a 
certain species quite constantly exercises a peculiar physiological 
influence upon the host, and that if the form on the leaves and 
twigs of P. sevotina described here were the same species as 
that which occurs on the fruit of the same tree, we would expect 
it to produce a spongy abnormal growth in the buds and ends of 
the branches just as --voascus mirabilis Atkinson does in the buds 
of Prunus augustifolia. For these reasons and from the fact that 
the fungus departs too widely from the characters of Avoascis 
deformans, it seems best to consider it as a distinct species, and I 
propose the name &. varius for it on account of the variable pro- 
portion which exists between the length of the ascus and stalk cell. 


PRUNUS MARITIMA WANG. Beach Plum. 
E-xoascus communts Sadebeck. 


This species affects the fruit of P. maritima, causing the plum 
‘‘nockets.”’ The specimens which I have seen were collected by 
Dr. Farlow at Dartmouth, Mass. Sadebeck* has _ recently 
described this species as occurring on this host as well as on P. 
pumila l,. and P. americana Marshall, all from the United States. 
The structure of the asci and the relation of the stalk cells to the 
epidermis is represented in fig. 58. The asci are slender, rather 
slightly clavate, and rounded or somewhat truncate at the free 
ends. Sadebeck gives the measurements for the species as fol- 
lows: ‘The asci are 30-40 long and about 8 in diameter, the 
stalk cells 15 to 20 high by 3-5 in diameter. Although the stalk 
cells are often somewhat pointed below he says they do not 
intrude between the cells of the epidermis. The measurements 
I have taken from the asci on P. maritima vary but little from 


*Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ab. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. X, 
2, p. 47, 1893. 


334 BULLETIN 73. 


these dimensions, the asci being 25-45 long by 6—8 in diameter, 
and the stalk cells 15-25 long by 3-6 in diameter. ‘They are 
somewhat pointed below and according to my observations do, to 
a slight extent, project between the cells of the epidermis, but 
not markedly so. The spores are rounded or oval in form and 
are 3—4 in diameter. 


PRUNUS NIGRA AITON. Wild Red Plum. 
E-xoascus communis Sadebeck. 


Fruits of this plum distorted into the usual ‘‘pockets’’ or 
‘‘bladders,’’ collected by C. H. Davis, at Almva, Mich., June 2, 
1894, were communicated to me by Prof. L. H. Bailey. The fun- 
gus agrees with Sadebeck’s 4. communis. ‘The asci measure 35 
—45 long by 7-9 in diameter, and the stalk cells 15-22 high by 
4-6 in diameter. The stalk cells are frequently pointed below 
and occasionally intrude slightly between the epidermal cells as 
in £. communis on P. maritima. The structure of the fungus 
and the relation of the stalk cells to the epidermis is represented 
in fig. 60. 

PRUNUS PUMILA L. Dwarf cherry. 
F:xoascus communis Sadebeck. 


Exoascus communis is also described by Sadebeck on the dwarf 
cherry, Prunus pumila L,. Mature conditions of the fungus on 
this plum I have not seen. The plum ‘‘bladders’’ were formed 
on the fruit of this species on some plants which are growing in 
the Horticultural grounds of Cornell University, in June, 1894. 
A photograph showing the form of these ‘‘bladders’’ and the nor- 
mal fruit is represented in fig. 19. ‘The surface of the swollen 
fruits is quite uneven, and the tissue is characteristic of similar 
tissues in other species of plums thus affected. These specimens 
unfortunately did not mature their asci. 


PRUNUS ANGUSTIFOLIA Marshall. Chickasaw plum. 
Exoascus mirabilis n. sp. 


This remarkable species deforms the leaf buds and young 
twigs of Prunus angustifolia Marshall, the Chickasaw plum (P. 
chicasa Michz.). It also occurs on related species of Prunus. I 
observed it in the vicinity of Columbia, S. C., in May, 1889, and 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 335 


during three years, 1890-92, I observed it as very abundant at 
Auburn, Ala., both on the wild P. angustifolia and its cultivated 
varieties. It produces in the young leaf buds and the ends of 
the young twigs an enlarged structure, the tissue of which is very 
much like that of the plum ‘“‘bladders.’’ The swollen bud or 
twig is usually whitish or yellowish white in color, the tissue is 
soft and spongy, and the structure is hollow at the center. They 
vary greatly in form, being clavate, oval, lanceolate, or elliptical; 
while the surface varies also to an equal extent, depending upon 
the stage of development of the bud or twig at the time that the 
growth is arrested. The bud may be brought well under contri- 
bution before the leaves have begun to open, when the large mass 
of tissue will present no appearance of even the leaf tips. Some- 
times the leaves partly separate and then short or long points 
which are of the same kind of tissue will project from the bulk of 
the mass. Again, the leaves may be more or less expanded, so 
that some of them present green normal tips projecting from the 
swollen bud, and from this the green expanded portion varies 
through different specimens so that in some there are normal 
leaves standing out from it. Two of these conditions are repro- 
duced from photographs of fresh specimens in figures 10 and 11, 
Plate V. 

The asci are developed all over the surface of the spongy por- 
tion of the structure, and give it amealy appearance. The twig 
is sometimes enlarged and deformed to some distance below the 
enlarged spongy end, and it is not rare to find, especially ata 
rather late period for the development of the asci, twigs slightly 
enlarged for a considerable distance, but bearing no asci. The 
fungus in structure is rather closely related to Axvoascus prunt, 
and at one time I considered it identical with that species. Spe- 
cimens collected by myself in Alabama were distributed by Sey- 
mour and Karle* as 7aphrina deformans (Berk.) Tul. 

The asci are slightly clavate, rounded or truncate at the free 
ends, and measure 25-45 long by 8-10 in diameter. ‘The stalk 
cells are 10-18 high by 5-8 in diameter, and are usually rounded 
or truncate at the base. ‘They do not intrude between the cells of 
the epidermis. Thespores are quite regularly elliptical, or rarely 


* Economic Fungi, No. 129. 


336 | BULLETIN 73. 


oval, agreeing in this respect somewhat with the spores of Lxoas- 
cus vostrupianus* Sadeb. but not so large as in that species. 

The mycelium is very abundant in the tissues of the affected 
buds, iorming a very complex network of threads between the 
cells of the hypertrophied tissue. The details of structure are 
shown in figures 61 and 62. 

The same fungus also occurs in Iowa, specimens collected on 
Prunus angustifolia (P. chicasa) in Chickasaw Co., by Prof. L. 
H. Budd, were communicated to me by Prof. L. H. Pammel. 

The mycelium is perennial in the branches, and in the follow- 
ing spring the young buds from such branches are more likely to 
suffer from attack. 

Lixoascus ntrabtis var. tortilis n. var. 

This form occurs on the fruit of Prunus angustifolia, very rarely 
producing the plum ‘‘ bladders,’’ and then the fruit is only affect- 
ed on one side and is strongly curved. Usually the attack is con- 

‘fined to a rather small area or so small that a considerable portion 

of the fruit retains its normal form and color, and it is not hollow 
within. ‘The structure of the fungus is but little different from. 
that on the buds, the chief differences being in somewhat larger 
development, so that the asci are somewhat longer and the stalk 
cells higher. The other characters, including those of the my- 
celium are the same as in the form on the buds. ‘The propriety 
of separating the form on the fruit asa variety may be questioned, 
but it seems well to do so in order to avoid possible confusion, 
since the form on the buds isthe more common one in localities 
where I have observed it, and quite frequently trees may present 
many.buds which are affected when all the fruits are free from 
attack. 

Erwin Smitht notes the occurrence of both these forms on P?. 
angustifolia and its cultivated varieties in Maryland and Georgia. 
He suggests that it may be distinct from the £. przzz. 

Many of the native trees are very seriously affected, and it 
seems in some cases to be spreading and becoming gerious in the 
plum orchards in the southern states. the 


* Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ab. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. X, 


I, p. 46, 1893. 
tJour. Mycology, p. 108, vol. VI. 


LEAF CuRL AND PLUM POCKETS. B37 


PRUNUS HORTULANA JL. H. Bailey. 
f:xoascus mirabilis. Atkinson. 


The buds and ends of the branches of P. hortulana are affected 
exactly like those of P. angustifolia, and the fungus seems to be 
identical with the species on that plant. All of the specimens 
were communicated to me by Prof. Pammel. Some of the de- 
tails of the asci, etc., are illustrated as follows. Fig. 70 from 
specimens collected at Ames, Iowa, in May, 1894; fig. 72 from 
specimens collected by Dr. A. B. Dennis at Cedar Rapids, Ia., 
May, 1894. ‘These specimens which I examined were rather 
young and comparatively few of the asci were fully developed. 
Fig. 68 is from specimens collected by Mrs. R. M. Kellum, at 
Salem, Ia., June 8, 1894. In this specimen the asci and stalk 
cells were much longer than in any of the other specimens, though 
the relative proportions between the asci and stalk cells remain 
about the same. This specimen was marked ‘‘ Prunus chicasa, 
‘Wild Goose Plum.’’’ Prof. Bailey has determined it as P. hor- 
tulana. 

Figs 70 and 72 agree in all respects with the type. 

Fig. 71 represents the asci and the relation of the fruit struc- 
tures to the epidermal cells in specimens from the buds of Prunus 
hortulana var. -minert, also from Iowa, collected by A. Noe, in 
May, 1894. ‘These also agree with the type on P. angustifolia. 


PRUNUS AMERICANA Marshall. Wild Red Plum. 
Fixoascus longipes n. sp. 


The specimens which constitute the type of this new species 
were collected at Danby, N. Y., by T. A. Mandeville. A photo- 
graph of the twig bearing numerous ‘‘bladders”’ and a normal 
fruit is reproduced in fig. 3, Plate II. The hypertrophied fruits 
are irregularly long ovate and sometimes slightly curved. The 
fungus is quite different from any of this class described hitherto 
on the fruits of Prunz. It is characterized chiefly by the very 
long stalk cells and from the circumstance that they intrude them- 
selves prominently between the cells of the epidermis. The asci 
are slightly clavate and rounded or somewhat truncate at the free 
end. They are 30-40 long by 7-10 in diameter. The stalk cells 
are 25-35 high by 3-5 in diameter, being usually much narrower 


mite. | BULLETIN 73. 


below. The lower ends of the cells of the hymenium begin 
usually to intrude themselves between the cells of the epidermis 
at quite an early stage of development. Fig. 47 shows this rela- 
tion of the cells of the hymenium to the epidermal cells. This 
results from a peculiarity of the development of the ascogenous 
cells from the first mycelium which spreads beneath the cuticle. 
The growth from these cells proceeds inward, that is, toward the 
epidermis, as well as outward in the direction of the formation of 
the ascus. ‘This is quite markedly the casein all the long stalked 
species of Axoascus which I have examined, even of £. pruntz, 
FE. communis, -:. mtrabtlis, and others. It is however much more 
marked in this species than in those just quoted, especially the 
long inward growth of the stalk cells. After many of the asci 
are quite well developed and are somewhat crowded, the hymen- 
ium continues to increase ina peculiar manner in all of these 
species but more so in some than in others. An ascogenous cell 
develops somewhat below the middle a slender branch which 
grows inward toward the epidermis. After having grown down- 
ward for some distance, sometimes having reached a length of 
15-20, the outer end begins to grow outward to form the ascus. 
A series of these with a young ascus is shown in fig. 49. In this 
way the lower ends of the stalk cells will frequently be at a very 
irregular line, some of them not intruding between the cells of 
the epidermis while others are crowded far down between them. 
E-xoascus rostrupianus probably develops the later hymenium in 
this way to judge from Sadebeck’s description, and also from the 
fact that it is a long stalked species. But according to Sadebeck* 
the stalks do not intrude themselves in the least between the epi- 
dermal cells. The spores are also quite different, being quite 
constantly elliptical, and the conidial formation from budding of 
the spores in the ascus being very rare. The spores in £. longzipes 
are round or oval, measuring 3-4 in diameter. 

When the asci are developing from these later hymenial cells it 
frequently happens that the septum separating the stalk cell from 
the ascus is formed below the connection of the fruit body with 
its neighbor from which it had its origin. 


* Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ab. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. X, 
2 p., 29, 1893. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 339 


The mycelium is very abundant in the tissues of the hypertro- 
phied fruits, forming a well developed network of threads between 
the cells as in other species of this type. 

These are the only specimens on P. americana Marshall of this 
species which I had the opportunity to examine. Other speci- 
mens of hypertrophied fruits of P. americana were collected 
near Ithaca, N. Y., during June, 1894, and judging from a pho- 
tograph which I have seen of them the form of the hypertrophied 
fruit is quite different. The specimens have either been mislaid 
or lost so that at this time there is no means of examining them 
to see whether they belong to this species or to 4. communis 
Sadebeck. 


E-xoascus communis Sadebeck. 


Sadebeck* reports this species on Prunus americana Marshall 
from the United States, collected by Bartholomew. ‘To it I have 
also referred specimens collected by Seymour at Madison, Wis., 
June 3, 1886, and distributed as Zaphrina prunty (Berk.) Tul. 

Specimens on the fruits of cultivated varieties of P. americana 
communicated by Prof. Pammel, and collected in Iowa, show a 
much distorted fruit in many specimens, especially of the 
‘“Cheny’’ variety. In some of these fruits only one side appears 
to be affected, resembling in this respect very much, the fruits of 
P. angustifolia deformed by £. mirabilis var. tortilis Atkinson. 
The form of the stalk cells also seems to be nearer those of that 
species than of /. communzs, and I do not feel like definitely locat- 
ing the form until we know more about the relation of these 
hypertrophied fruits of the cultivated varieties of P. americana to 
the deformed buds which also occur on P. americana, and which 
appear to be identical with those on P. angustifolia and P. hor- 
tulana., 

The asci of the ‘‘Cheny’’ and ‘‘Baldwin’’ varieties of the 
form on the fruit of P. americana are shown in detail in figures 
AO-43, 42 representing the asci of the Baldwin variety. 


* Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ab. a. d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. X. 2, 
Pp. 47, 1893. 
{+ Seymour and Earle, Economic Fungi, No. 13. 


340 BULLETIN 73. 
E-xoascus mirabilis Atkinson. 


To this species I refer the form on the buds of P. americana 
Marshall, from Iowa, specimens communicated by Prof. Pammel, 
and by Prof. Seymour. ‘The asci, stalk cells and spores are 
shown in figs. 68 and 69. 

Specimens of probably this same species on the buds of the 
Maquoketa* plum were reported from Iowa in 1888, the Maquo- 
keta being here inadvertently referred to the Chickasaw plum. 


L:xoascus decipiens n. sp. 


This species distorts the leaves and young shoots of Prunus 
americana Marshall. Specimens have been collected at Danby, 
N. Y., by T. A. Mandeville, and at Aetna, N. Y., by the writer. 
A photograph of two of the specimens from Danby are reproduced 
in figs. 5 and 6, Plate III. The young shoot is somewhat 
. enlarged, though there are developed no asci on any of the shoots 
which I have seen. In fig. 5 some of the leaves can be seen to be 
finely wrinkled near the base. The affected part of the leaf is 
usually thrown into a series of very fine folds or wrinkles, and the 
under surface, which at the time of the maturity of the asci is fre- 
quently farther injured, presenting a scurvy appearance, is covered 
by scattered groups of rather loosely associated asci. No asci 
have as yet been found upon the upper surface, and from careful 
examination I have not been able to detect any development cor- 
responding to the ‘‘ witches brooms,”’ so that the species seems to 
be,well differentiated from £. zzsztztiae Sadeb. ‘The asci are also 
much larger and different in other respects than those of that 
species. ‘They are nearly cylindrical and rounded or rarely trun- 
cate at the free ends, and measure 20-40 long by 7-10 in diameter. 
The stalk cells are quite broad, frequently broader than the asci, 
and measure 6-13 high by 7-12 in diameter. They are usually 
rounded below, but sometimes are pointed much as in £. defor- 
mans on the peach. The spores are oval or broadly elliptical, 
measuring 3-4 in diameter. Quite frequently conidia are devel- 
oped by budding while still within the ascus. 


* Report Dept. Agr. p. 368, 1888. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 341 


Where the leaves are fully expanded or nearly so before they 
are Seriously attacked the injury is confined chiefly to the base of 
the leaf and the petiole. Sometimes isolated spots nearer the tip 
of the leaf are also affected. If the leaves are seriously attacked 
when quite young they become killed, still clinging to the branch 
and with no development of asci dry, become crisp, and black. 
The blades of leaves only partially affected also become black, the 
lamina first and the petiole later, especially when the serious at- 
tack is chiefly confined to the base of the leaf. ‘This dying of the 
affected parts often continues into the shoot, which presents also 
a blackened appearance. One of these shoots with blackened 
leaves in different stages of development is reproduced from a 
photograph in fig. 17, Plate VIII. 

The mycelium is perennial in the young branches, and occurs 
in the intercellular spaces of the affected parts. | 

See figurus 74-77, Plate XIX, for details. 

Fig. 5, Plate III, showsalso the fruits of P. americana deformed 
by Exoascus longipes Atkinson, growing from the same shoot as 
Exoascus decipiens and very near it. Inthe shoot the mycelium 
of the two species is probably somewhat intermingled, but there 
can be no doubt about the two being different species, for they 
represent very remote types of A-voascus. 


E-xoascus decipiens var. superficialis n. var. 


On half formed fruits of Prunus americana Marshall, at Aetna, 
N. Y., I have foundan /.voascus which may prove to be a distinct 
species. I have not had as yet sufficient material to give it the 
careful study to determine this point. I therefore prefer at the 
present to place it asa variety of 4. decipiens Atkinson, especially 
as it occurs in the cases thus far observed on the same tree on 
which I collected /. decipiens at Aetna, N. Y. The first speci- 
mens were collected July 6, 1894. At this time the Z. decipiens 
on the leaves had nearly disappeared, at least the fruiting condi- 
tion of it. The fungus on the fruit at this time was not matute, 
but was collected in a mature condition on July 28. The fruits 
as stated above are half formed and the stone is normal, or at least 
not wanting. For this reason I have proposed the name szper/- 


342 BULLETIN 73. 


cialis. On the affected parts the mycelium penetrates to: some 
depth, however, in the tissue and warty swellings appear, ora 
large part of the surface is laid under contribution to the fungus. 
Two of these hypertrophied fruits showing the extremes of this 
condition are reproduced in fig. 7, Plate III. 

On the specimens which were collected July 28, the surface of 
these warty projections was roughened and finely cracked, and 
beside the mature asci which were present there were other fungi 
of a saprophytic nature, especially a specimen of Cladosporium, 
though not in profusion. The hymenium was upon the surface of 
this tissue. The asci are about 25-30 long by 8-11 in diameter, 
and some of them presented a constriction near the base. ‘The 
stalk cell in the specimens seen were very short, but farther study 
is necessary to determine these characters. ‘The asci, however, 
are near the type of those on the leaves. Whether the myce- 
lium is perennial in the branches and grows out into the fruits, 
or whether infection takes place by spores from the species on the 

‘leaves cannot at this time be stated. If the former were the case 
there would seem good ground for considering it as a distinct 
species. 


PRUNUS TRIFLORA Roxburgh. Japan Plum. 
Exoasctus rhizipes n. sp. 


This very interesting species was collected by the writer on 
Japan plums of the variety sometimes called Botan, or Botankio. 
It was collected at Auburn, Ala., May 1, 1892. Superficially the 
hypertrophied fruit and buds resemble those on the Chickasaw 
plum (P. angustifolia). One specimen, in which an affected fruit 
and bud were growing very close together on the same branch, 
was photographed and is reproduced in fig. 4, Plate II. 

While the superficial resemblance is close to the hypertrophies 
caused by /. mirabilis Atkinson, the structure of the fungus is 
very different, and also differs markedly from any described spe- 
cies. It is more closely related to 4. long7pes Atkinson, but differs 
from that in the stalk cells which intrude much farther between 
the cells of the epidermis and by the frequent development of 
numerous rhizoids which are intermingled with the stalk cells and 
also penetrate between the epidermal cells. The lower part of 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 343 


the slender stalk cell is frequently septate as are also the rhizoids. 
The stalk cells of 4. longipes occasionally possess a few rhizoids, 
and this is the case in many of the long stalked species, but the 
occurrence on those species is rare. These rhizoids are developed 
both from the stalk cells and from the lower part of the ascus. 
Their origin is related, or similar in kind, to that of the develop- 
ment of the later portions of the hymenium in this and other 
species noted under the discussion of £. longipes. 

A very thin section presents the appearance as if there were no 
stalk cells whatever, but that the asci arose from a very complex 
cellular hymenium of several layers in thickness, the inner layers 
of which are between the epidermal cells of the host. 

The typical form is on the fruit and the structure of the asci 
and the relation of the stalk cells is shown in Plate XV, figs. 53- 
57. Some young developing asci from the fruit are shown in fig. 
57, with a few rhizoids and young hymenial cells. The older 
asci are difficult to tease out well from their attachment in the 
epidermal cells so as to preserve all the rhizoids in situ. The 
asci are slightly clavate, are 30-40 long by 8-10 in diameter. 
The stalk cells reach a length of 25-35 or 4o, and are 3-5 in 
diameter. ‘The rhizoids and stalk cells as well are frequently 
septate. This occurs sometimes also in /. longipfes but rarely 
compared with the occurrence in this species. 

The young cells of the hymenium also more early intrude 
themselves between the cells of the epidermis. ‘The intercellular 
mycelium is abundant as in the other related species. The 
spores are elliptical. , 

The form on the buds is similar, but the development of the 
rhizoids is not so profuse, nor are they so long. ‘This may be 
accounted for I think from the fact that the fruit forms a more 
suitable nourishment and all the structures are forced to a greater 
development. The same relation exists between the form on the 
fruit in -. mzrabdis and that on the buds, but in each case it is 
quite easy to properly correlate the two forms. On the bud the 
stalk cells intrude themselves far between the cells of the epi- 
dermis, as shown in fig. 53. In fig. 55 are shown three asci with 
their stalk cells and the connection near the septum dividing the 
stalk from the ascus. 


344 BULLETIN 73. 


PRUNUS VIRGINIANA IL. Choke Cherry. 
E-xoascus confusus 0. sp. 


The fungus causing the hypertrophied fruits of Prunus virgin- 
zana have been referred, it seems to me improperly, to Awxoascus 
prunt. Sadebeck* considers it identical with the Axoascus caus- 
ing the hypertrophied fruits of P. domestica and places it in Z. 
prunt. ‘The asci are quite different and especially the stalk cells 
and their proportion to the asci. Figures 37-39, Plate XII, 
represent the details of these structures. Fig. 37 is from a rather 
young specimen from Forest Home, N. Y., and figs. 38, 39, from 
specimens collected by Underwood at Taburg, N. Y., communi- 
cated by Seymour. Comparing these figures with those of 
E. prunt from P. domestica, shown in figs. 44, 45, a great differ- 
ence is seen. All of these illustrations of the structure of the 
asci, etc., are carefully drawn with the aid of the camera lucida 
to the same scale, so the comparison can well be made from the 
illustrations. ‘The asci of this species on the fruit of P. virginiana 
are, according to these specimens, 30-45 long by 8-12 in diam- 
eter. The stalk cells are 15-30 high by 6-10 in diameter. 
The stalk cells are nearly or quite the same diameter as the asci 
and are proportionally longer than those of &. prunz on P. domes- 
tica, and Sadebecky+ says upon examination that the fungus upon 
the fruit of P. domestica in the United States is the same as that 
in Europe upon the same host. The stalk cells also on the fruit 
of P. domestica are also more slender in proportion to the diameter 
of the ascus than in those on the fruit of P. vixginzana. 

The physiological effect upon the host is also quite different. 
Not only is the hypertrophied fruit much longer in proportion to 
the diameter than is the case with the fruit of P. domestica, but 
the floral envelopes are also constantly hypertrophied and become 
persistent, which is not the case with the same organs of the 
flower of P. domestica. ‘The asci are also developed on the floral 
organs. 


* Kritische Unters, etc. Ab. a.d. Jahrb. d. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. VIII, 29, 
1891. 


+ Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ibid. X, 2, p. 44, 1893. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 345 


Robinson* calls attention to the fact that the asci on the fruit 
of P. domestica are much more slender than the measurements 
given by Sadebeck would indicate. In a later contribution Sade- 
becky himself indirectly gives some ground for considering this a 
distinct species from the £. prunz on P. domestica. In this com- 
munication he thinks it possible that a careful examination of the 
fungus on the fruit of Prunus padus, which he previously studied 
and placed in /. prunz,{ may prove to bea distinct species. The 
hypertrophied fruits of P. fadus agree in external appearance 
‘more nearly with those of P. virginiana than with those of P. 
domestica, and the floral organs of P. fadus are also hypertrophied. 
Prunus padus and P. virginiana both belong to the same type of 
the genus Prunus and to a different type from that to which P?. 
domestica belongs. 

I should consider the fungus on P. wivgintana much more 
nearly related to the 4. farlowzi on P. serotina than to £. prunt. 

The relative size of the asci and stalk cells as well as the pro- 
portionate length of the same, suggest this, as can be seen by 
comparing the illustrations of the two. Figs. 34-36 being those 
of £. farlowit and 37-39 being those of the species on the fruit of 
P. virginiana. ‘There are, it seems to me, however, good specific 
differences between these two, the base of the stalk cells in Z&. 
farlowi being frequently narrower and running to a point which 
intrudes somewhat between the cells of the epidermis. The asci 
of £. farlow7? are also much shorter, and the stalk cells are pro- 
portionately a little broader. I therefore propose for the fungus 
on the fruit of P. vixginzana, the name, Axoascus confusus. 


E-xoascus cecidomophilus n. sp. 


This is a very interesting species which I have found upon the 
fruits of Prunus virginiana which were deformed by a species of 
Cecidomyia. ‘The species was discovered too late in the season to 
say whether the larvee attacked the fruit before or after the attack 
by the fungus. I believe at this time, however, that the cecid- 
omid larvee attack and deform fruits which are not affected by the 


* Notes on the genus Paphrina. Ann. Bot. I, p. 168, 1887-8. 
+ Die parasitischen Exoasceen. Ab. a. d. Jahrb. etc. X, 2, p. 45, 1893. 
{ Kritische Unters. etc. Ibid. VIII, p. 29, 1891. 


346 . BULLETIN 73. 


fungus. Certainly the larve control to the greater extent the 
form of the gall, which is very different from that produced by any 
hitherto known species of the /voasceae. Neither the floral en- 
velopes nor the stamens suffer hypertrophy, the carpel alone being 
concerned. ‘This is transformed into a peculiar hollow and open 
gall, the opening being at the base of the ovary and appearing as 
if it were formed by the cracking away of a portion of the base 
from the receptacle, as the base of the fruit by hypertrophy in- 
creases in size. The peculiar shape of the gall is shown in figs. 
15 and 16, Plate VII, reproduced from a photograph. ‘They are 
from 1.5—-2.5 cm. long and somewhat less than 1 cm. in diameter, 
being two to three times longer than broad. ‘They are somewhat 
broader than the normal fruitand two to four times longer, as can 
be seen in the illustration in which are shown a few normal fruits 
attached to the same cluster. Sometimes only one or two of the 
fruits in a raceme are affected. This trouble seems to be a very 
common one in the vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y. Itis especially abun- 
dant along the Dryden road between Aetna and Varna, whereit was 
first noted by Prof. J. H. Comstock. The gallis nearly oblong 
in outline, with rounded ends, a slight inflation at the middle 
anda constriction near the base, so that the very base seems to 
flame outward as if inverting. It is also more or less curved. 

The fungus does not occupy the entire gall and does not pene- 
trate to a very great depth in the tissues, while the mycelium is 
rather scanty. Sections, however, do show that the mycelium 
penetrates in the subepidermal tissue to some extent between the 
cells over a portion of the gall. The side of the gall which is 
affected by the fungus is more strongly arched than the unaffected 
side. Whether the slight curve which has thus far been observed 
to be present to some extent in all the galls examined, is caused 
by the presence of the mycelium, has not yet been determined. 
Several have been examined and the mycelium not found, but 
farther study is necessary to determine this point, and also to 
determine the exact relation of the cecedomid to it. 

Before the galls die if they are cut open, several of the reddish 
larvee of the cecidomid will be found inside clustered at the apex 
of the hollow interior. The cavity is quite large and smooth, 
and of a dark color. 


ee 


LEAF CuRL AND PLUM POCKETS. 347 


The tissue of the gall is quite hard, especially so as compared 
with that of the ordinary ‘‘bladders’”’ formed by species of Exvoas- 
cus, and this taken with the scanty mycelium of the fungus and 
the peculiar shape of the gall is pretty strong evidence that the 
form of the gall is more strongly influenced by the cecidomid than 
by the fungus. 

The fungus is very different from those which are known to 
produce the ‘‘bladders” or ‘‘pockets’’ of the fruits of Prunus. 
The asci are cylindrical or slightly clavate and rounded at the 
free ends. They are 30-40 long by 6-10 in diameter. The stalk 
cells are very broad, being 6-10 high by 10-15 in diameter. They 
are usually rounded and blunt below and do not at all intrude 
between the cells of the epidermis. ‘The asci are scattered or 
rather loosely aggregated. Figs. 73, 78, 79, illustrate the asci, 
etc., of this species. [he spores are rounded or elliptical, and 
very frequently the formation of conidia by budding in the ascus 
takes place. In a few cases I have observed the spores in process 
of formation before the wall separating the ascus from the stalk 
cell was formed. Two such cases are represented in fig. 73. One 
case was observed where no wall was formed even when the ascus 
was mature and the spores occupied the entire fruit body. A few 
variations of this kind have been observed in some of the other 
species. Sadebeck records a case of the beginning of spore 
formation before the separating wall was developed. 

Occasionally on the same trees which bear the cecidomid galls 
with the E-voascus cecidomophilus Atkinson, are the old mummified 
hypertrophied fruits caused by Avoascus confusus Atkinson (£. 
pruni of Authors). Fig. 16, Plate VII, shows a very interesting 
condition of the fruit which is sometimes seen. A single raceme 
bears several normal fruits, one mummified fruit the result of the 
attack of /. confusus in May or early June, and several fruits 
attacked both by a cecidomid and by &. cecidomophilus in July. 


E-xo0ascus sp 


A species of Axvoascus has been found deforming the leaves and 
twigs of Prunus virginiana, but thus far I have not seen the 
mature condition though several diligent searches have been made 
for it. To what species it belongs-or whether the one in the 


348 BULLETIN 73. 


shoots is the same as the one in the leaves is not known. A few 
shoots on one tree by the roadside near Crowbar Point on the 
west shore of Cayuga Lake were found by me on June 28, 1894. 
They were enlarged for some distance from the ends and the 
greater diameter of the hypertrophied shoot was some distance 
from the end. They were also curved to one side by torsion, 
usually nearly at a right angle, but in one case the torsion had 
continued until the shoot made an entire revolution and the end 
then pointed in nearly the same direction as the main part of the 
shoot. This one is reproduced in fig. 18, Plate VIII. Some of 
the leaves of these same shoots were deformed by a species of 
E-xoascus. Somewhat similar distortions of the leaves were found 
along the Dryden road between Aetna and Varna, July 6 and 28. 
-A few only were found on a very few of the shrubs which also 
possessed the cecidomid galls.. None of the shoots here were 
deformed. An examination of the tissues of the shoots and 
and leaves thus deformed showed the presence of the mycelium 
of an Lxoascus. 
Fig. 84 represents the intercellular mycelium in a twig, and fig. 
80 the mycelium and very early stage of the formation of the 
hymenium in a petiole of a very young leaf in a bud of the same. 


PRUNUS DEMISSA Walp. 
E-xoascus varius? Atkinson. 


Among other specimens communicated to me by Prof. Pammel 
was one from the Herb. of Prof. Wm. Trelease, collected in Ute 
Pass, Colorado, on the leaves of Prunus demissa Walp. The 
affected spots appear to have been arched and slightly folded, 
forming rather shallow open pockets, much like those which I 
have here observed on the leaves of Prunus virginiana, to which 
P. demissa is closely related. In the specimens observed the asci 
were developed on the upper surface of the leaves forming a 
whitish coating to the spots. Some of the asci are illustrated in 
fig. 33. Without more material and fuller observations I do not 
care to definitely locate the species. It is marked Zaphrina de- 
formans. It seems to me that the proportion existing between the 
length of the stalk cells and the asci is different from that in the 
specimens en the peach, and agrees more closely in that respect 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 349 


with the fungus on the leaves of P. serotina I,. which I have re- 
ferred to #. varius n.sp. I would therefore provisionally refer 
it to that species. 


CONCLUSIONS. 


It is to be regretted that definite and conclusive experiments 
have not yet been made concerning the treatment and control of 
the diseases caused by the various species of the ZEvoascez, so 
that this information, which is most desired by fruit growers could 
be here confidently placed before them. It is hoped, however, 
that this contribution will give those interested a greater familiar- 
ity with the characteristics of the deformed leaves, fruits, and 
branches caused by this group of parasitic fungi and that this will 
lead to a more intelligent line of experimentation. 

It should be remembered that the species possess a perennial 
mycelium which lives in the buds or branches of the trees, during 
the winter months, of plants which once have become infected. 
That a tree once affected is likely to show the disease more or less 
every year. Climatic conditions probably influence a greater or 
less injury from year to year, so that in some years little of the 
trouble may be observed when in other years it is more common. 
This has led some to suppose that the fungi are not perennial, 
but that a fresh infection each year is caused by the spores only. 
This is a mistake. There is abundant evidence from the results 
of several investigators to show that the mycelium is perennial, 
for it has been found during the winter months, and in the spring 
has been traced as it grows from the buds or branches into the 
young leaves or fruits. It is quite possible that one source of the 
original infection of trees is from the attacks of spores. I have 
several times attempted to inoculate healthy peach trees, or un- 
affected ones, from the spores taken from freshly mature specimens 
on affected trees. ‘This I attempted at Auburn, Ala. Not only 
were spores sown on the young leaves and buds, but pieces of 
the leaves containing mature spores, and others containing the 
mycelium only were inserted into a slit in young buds and in the 
young branches near buds. In no case did any sign of the dis- 
ease appear even after three years. Several of these incisions 


350 BULLETIN 73. 


were wrapped with moist cloth and kept moist for several days, 
while in other cases a moist chamber was made around the twig 
by covering it with quite a large test tube. Had young buds 
been inserted in the manner of budding during the month of 
August in all likelihood the disease would have appeared in a 
year or two. I know of no successful experiments made in 
inoculating peach or plum trees from the spores, although such 
results may have been attained. It is usually considered by most 
students of this group that it is rather difficult to secure results 
from the inoculation by spores in many of the species of Axoascus 
while in others it is comparatively easy. Sadebeck* succeeded 
in inoculating :Alnus zacana with the spores of Axoascus epiphyt- 
lus, and producing the characteristic disease. He says it is easier 
to produce an infection with this species than with any other of 
the species of Axoascus known to him. 

Since the mycelium is perennial in the buds or young branches 
of affected trees no buds should be taken from such trees for bud- 
ding nursery stock or budding in the orchard. Since nearly all 
of the affected leaves of the peach trees fall away before the time 
for the selection of buds, the trees should be carefully selected in 
the months of May and June in | order to avoid those which have 
the disease. 

Where only a few branches of a tree are affected, neon a 
considerable distance below the affected portion might be tried, 
especially in the case of those plum trees affected with £. mzradz- 
lis, that is those having the bud deformations. 

It may be well in concluding to give alist of the species of 
Exoascus described here as occurring on species of Prunus in the 
United States, with their host. 

Exoascus deformans (Berk. ) Fuckel, asorane the leaves and 
rarely the shoots of Prunus persica I. 2 

“Exoascus prunt Fuckel, deforming the fruit, causing “‘blad- 
ders’’ or plum “‘ pockets’’ of Prunus domestica I,. 

E-xoascus tnsititie Sadebeck, causing ‘‘ witches brooms ”’ and de- 
forming the leaves of Prunus pennsylvanica L,. 

‘Lxoascus cerast (Fuckel) Sadebeck, causing ‘‘ witches brooms ”’ 
and deforming the leaves of the same on Prunus avium. 


* Kritische Unters, etc., 1891. 


LEAF CurRL AND’ Plum POCKETS. 351 


Exoascus confusus Atkinson, deforming the fruit and floral en- 
velopes of Prunus virginiana I,. 

Exoascus farlowit Sadebeck, deforming the fruit and floral en- 
velopes of Prunus serotina I,. 

Exoascus communis Sadebeck, deforming the fruits of Prunus 
maritima Wang., P. pumila l,., P. americana Marshall, P. RE 
Aiton. 

Exoascus longipes Atkinson, deforming the fruit of Prunus 
americana Marshall. 

Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson, deforming the leaf buds and 
twigs, forming ‘‘ pockets,” of Prunus angustifolia Marshall, “fi 
hortulana 1. H. Bailey, P. americana Marshall. 

Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson var. tortilis Atkinson,~ distorting 
the fruit of Prunus angustifolia Marshall. 

E-xoascus rhizipes Atkinson, deforming the fruit and leaf pie 
of Prunus triflora Roxburgh. 

Exoascus decipiens Atkinson, deforming the leaves and gee: 
of Prunus americana Marshall. 

Exoascus decipiens Atkinson var. superficialis Atkinson deform- 
ing the surface of the fruit of Pranzzs americana Marshall. 

E-xoascus vartus deforming the leaves and shoots of Prunus 
serotina 1, and? P, demissa Wang. 

Exoascus cecitdomophilus Atkinson, affecting cecidomid galls on 
the fruit of Prunus virginiana I,. 

GHOZ FO ATKINSON, 

Nots. I wish to acknowledge my great indebtedness to the following 
persons who have aided me chiefly by the communication of material: Prof.. 


L. H. Pammel, Prof. A. B. Seymour, Prof. T. Meehan, Prof. B. D. Halstead, 
Mr. J. B. Ellis and Mrs. Flora W. Patterson. 


35 | BULLETIN 73. 


EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 


All the illustrations in Plates X—XIX inclusive were drawn 
with the aid of the camera lucida to the same scale. One milli- 
meter of the eye piece micrometer scale of this combination is 
drawn in each plate. The figures are magnified 30 times more 
than this scale. | : 

Plate I. Exoascus deformans (Berk.) Fuckel, on leaves of 
Prunus persica (1,.), peach. Fig. 1 from Ithaca, IND) Yo) Due 
petioles and a portion of the stem are here also affected. Fig. 2 
from Auburn, Ala. 

Plate II. Fig. 3, Exoascus longipes Atkinson, in fruits of 
Prunus americana Marshall. One young plum at the right is 
sound and serves for comparison with the hypertrophied fruits. 
From N., Y. 

Fig. 4, Hxoascus rhizipes Atkinson, on fruit and bud of Prunus - 
triflora Roxburgh, Japan plum. From Auburn, Ala. 

Plate III. Figs. 5 and 6 Exoascus decipiens Atkinson in the 
leaves of Prunus americana Marshall. In 6 the shoot is deformed. 
In 5 the fruits are deformed by E. longipes Atkinson. From 
IN NS 

Fig. 7, Exoascus decipiens var. cecidomophilus Atkinson in 
half grown fruits of Prunus americana Marshall. ‘The plum at 
the left shows but a few warty excrescences, while the one at the 
right is affected over a large part of the surface. From Aetna, 
N. Y., on the same tree on which EH. decipiens was collected. 
Fig. 17 in Plate VIII is E. decipiens Atkinson from the same 
tree, on which the plums in fig. 7 were collected. 

Plate IV. Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson var. tortilis Atkinson, 
in fruits of Prunus angustifolia Marshall (P. chicasa Michz.). 
Only one side of the fruit is attacked. In each figure one healthy 
and one affected fruit is shown. From Auburn, Ala. 

Plate V. Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson in buds of Prunus 
angustifolia Marshall. In figure ro several of the leaves were 
fully expanded before the bud was severely attacked. Fig. 12 
Exoascus mirabilis var. tortilis Atkinson on fruits of P. angusti- 
folia Marshall. All from Auburn, Ala. 


LEAF CURL AND PLUM POCKETS. 353 


Plate VI. Exoascus farlowii Sadebeck, in carpels of Prunus 
serotina L. Some of the carpels are not attacked and the flowers 
form a means of comparison with the affected ones. From 
Auburn, Ala. . 

Exoascus varius Atkinson, in the leaves and shoots of the same 
branches. The shoots are deformed and enlarged at the ends 
but are not developing ‘‘ witches’ brooms.’’ 

Plate VII. Exoascus cecidomophilus Atkinson, in fruits of 
Prunus virginiana L,. deformed by cecidomid larve. In fig. 16 
the strongly arched sides of the galls are the places where the 
Fyxoascus is located. Midway of the raceme is a mumified fruit 
which was deformed by Exoascus confusus Atkinson, earlier in 
the season. In each raceme are healthy fruits. From near 
Aetna, N. Y. | 

Plate VIII. Fig. 17, Exoascus decipiens Atkinson, blacken- 
ing the leaves and’ shoot of Prunus americana Marshall. From 
Aetna, N. Y. 

Fig. 18, Exoascus sp. deforming the shoot and leaves of 
Prunus virginiana L. From near Crowbar Point, west shore 
Moya akes Noy. 

Plate IX. Exoascus communis Sadebeck. Deforming the 
fruits of Prunus pumila L. From Horticultural grounds, Cor- 
nell University. 

Plate X. Figs. 20-22. Exoascus deformans (Berk.) Fuckel. 
a. ascus, s?¢. stalk cell, Ay. cells of the hymenium, ep. epidermis, 
m. mycelium. Fig. 20from LaFayette, N. Y., fig. 21, from Tem- 
ple, N. H. Some of these asci have but four spores. Fig. 22 
from Ames, Iowa. 

Figs. 23, 24, Exoascus insititize Sadebeck, on leaves of Prunus 
pennsylvanica L., from Temple, N. H. 

Fig. 25, Exoascus cerasi (Fuckel.) Sadebeck, from leaves of 
Prunus avium L,., Germantown, Penn. 

Plate XI. Figs. 26-32, Exoascus varius Atkinson on leaves of 
Prunus serotina L. Figs. 26-29 from Auburn, Ala., 30-31 from 
Smyrna, Del., 32 from Temple, N. H. Fig. 33 E. varius? from 
leaves of Prunus demissa Walp., Ute Pass, Colorado. 

Plate XII. Figs. 34-36, Exoascus farlowii Sadebeck, on fruits 
of Prunus serotina L. Figs. 34-36 from Auburn, Ala., 35 from 
London, Canada. 


354 BULLETIN 73. 


Figs. 37-39, Exoascus confusus Atkinson, on fruits of Prunus 
virginiana L....37 from Forest. Home, N. Y.;°38)=3oneom 
Taburg, N. Y. 

Plate XIII. Figs. 40-43, Exoascus communis Sadebeck ? or 
K. mirabilis var. tortilis Atkinson? From deformed fruits of 
Prunus americana, cultivated varieties ; 40, 41, 43, Cheny variety, 
42, Baldwin variety. From Iowa. 

Figs. 44, 45, Exoascus pruni Fuckel on fruit of Prunus domes- 
tica L., from Wisconsin. 

Plate XIV. Exoascus longipes Atkinson, on fruit of Prunus 
americana Marshall. Fig. 46, section showing young hymenium 
etc., c., cuticle, Z., hymenium, ef., epidermis, 7., mycelium. 47, 
older hymenium showing the lower ends of the cells making their 
way in between the cells of the epidermis. 48, 50, 51, mature 
asci showing the stalk cells penetrating between the cells of the 
epidermis. 49, showing the successive development of the later 
. hymenium and ascogenous cells. 52, a portion of the fruit where 
the subcuticular mycelium was not well distributed. From 
Danby, N. Y. | 

Plate XV. Exoascus rhizipes Atkinson, on fruit and bud of 
Prunus triflora Roxburgh. 53 and 55 from bud, 54, 56, 57, from 
fruit. Fig. 54 shows the young hymenium with the lower 
ends of the cells growing down between the cells of the 
epidermis. In the mature asci specimens are seen the rhizoids 
growing from the stalk cells. 57 represents some of these grow- 
ing from the lower part of the ascus. Older fruit bodies have a 
much greater number of rhizoids. From Auburn, Ala. 

Plate XVI. Exoascus communis Sadebeck. Figs. 58 and 59 
from fruit of Prunus maritima Wang., Dartmouth, Mass. 60, 
from fruit of Prunus nigra Aiton, Alma, Mich. 

Plate XVII. Figs. 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, Exoascus mirabilis 
Atkinson. 61 and 62 (type) from bud of Prunus angustifolia 
Marshall, Auburn, Ala., 63 from same in Iowa, 66 and 67 from 
buds of Prunus americana, Iowa. 

Figs. 64 and 65, Exoascus mirabilis var. tortilis Atkinson, on 
fruit of Prunus angustifolia Marshall, from Auburn, Ala. 

Plate XVIII. 70 and 72, Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson on buds 
of Prunus hortulana, L. H. Bailey, from Iowa, 71 same on P. 


Lear Curt AND PruM PocKkE‘s. 355 


hortulana var. mineri., from Iowa. Fig. 68, highly developed 
specimens on bud of P. hortulana, Iowa. Fig. 69 from bud of 
Prunus domestica, N. J. 

Fig. 73, Exoascus cecidomophilus Atkinson, on fruits of 
Prunus virginiana J, deformed by cecidomid larve. From 
Aetna, and other places in the vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y. 

Plate XIX. Figs. 74-77, Exoascus decipiens Atkinson, on 
leaves of Prunus americana Marshall, from Danby, N. Y. 

Figs. 78 and 79 Exoascus cecidomophilus Atkinson from fruits 
of Prunus virginiana L. deformed by cecidomid larve. In the 
vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y. 

Plate XX. 81, 82 and 83 Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson from 
Prunus angustifolia Marshall, Auburn, Ala. 81 young hymen- 
ium and intercellular mycelium, 82 mature asci showing the con- 
nection of a portion of the hymenium with the mycelium, 83 
superficial view of a:portion of the hymenium. These figures are 
drawn to a different scale from 84 and 80 and this entire Plate is 
reduced more than Plates X—XIX. 

Fig. 80 is from a petiole of a deformed bud and 84 from a de- 
formed shoot of Prunus virginiana L,. on which the fungus was 
not mature. In 80 is shown the intercellular mycelium and the 
very beginning of the hymenium underneath the cuticle. In 84 
is shown a portion of the intercellular mycelium, se: treatment 
with chloral hydrate. 


ri 
ee 


PLATE I.—/Prunus persica(L.), Peach. (Exoascus deformans (B.) Fuckel.) 


PLATE Il.—Fig. 3.—Prunus americana Marshall, wild red plum (Lxoas- 
cus longipes Atkinson). Fig. 4, Prunus triflora Roxburgh, Japan 
plum (Exoascus rhizipes Atkinson). 


PLATE III.—Prunus americana Marshall, wild red plum (fig. 5 Exoascus 
longipes Atkinson, in ovaries; EE. decipiens Atkinson tn leaves, fig. 
6, E. decipiens Atkinson in shoot. Fig. 7, E. decipiens Atkinson 
var. superficialis Atkinson, in surface of half grown plums). 


PLATE I1V.—Prunus angustifolia Marshall, Chickasaw plum ( Exoascus 
mirabilis Atkinson var. tortilis Atkinson tn plums). 


PLATE V.—Prunus angustifolia Warshall, Chickasaw plum (figs. ro and 11, 
Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson in buds ; jig. 12, Lxoascus mirabilis 
var. tortilis Atkinson in plums). 


: . | *(SJOOYS PUD SADIT . 
ut UOSUIYIPy SNIABA SnISvOXT ‘SJag4v7 ut YIaQapvS rAL0jAv{ SnISvOX TT) MAsIYI YIDIQ pwr "T vurosas SNUNAT—TA ALV'Id 


PLATE VII.—Prunus virginiana L., choke cherry (Exoascus cecidomophilus 
Atkinson in frutts deformed by cecidomid larve. 


PLATE VIIL.—Meg. 717, Prunus americana Marshall, wild red plum (xoascus 
decipiens Atkinson blackening the leaves and shoot). Fig. 18, Prunus vir- 
giniana L., choke cherry (E-xoascus sp. deforming the leaves and shoot.) 


PLATE 1X.—Prunus pumila L., dwarf cherry 
(Exoascus communis Sadebeck). 


— 
= 
- 
- 
- 
_— 
- 
- 
- 
- 
— 


PLATE X.—Vfigs. 20-22, Exoascus deformans ( Berk.) Fuckel, (on P. persica 
L.). Figs. 23,24, Exoascus insititie Sadebeck (on P. pennsylvanica 
L.). Fig. 25, Exoascus cerasi ( Fuckel) Sadebeck, (on P. 

avium L.). 


PLATE XI.—Figs. 26-32, Exoascus varius Atkinson (on P. serotina L.). 
Fig. 33, E. varius? (On P. demissa Walp.). 


PLATE XII.—Figs. 34-36, Exoascus farlowti Sadebeck (on P. serotina L.). 
Figs. 37-39, Exoascus confusus Atkinson (on P. virginiana L.) 


PLATE XIII.—Figs. go-43, Exoascus communis Sadebeck ? or E. mirabilis 
Atkinson var. tortilis Atkinson ? (on deformed fruit, P. ameri- 
cana Marshall). Figs. 44, 45, Exoascus prunt Fuckel (on 
P. domestica L.). 


P. americana Marshall). 


(on 


a 


InSOnN 


—Exoascus longipes Atk 


PLATE XIV 


A 


PLATE XV.—Lvxoascus rhizipes Atkinson (on P. triflora Roxburgh). 


Wang., 


tma 


59 on P. marit 


) 


58, 
ton 


7 


A 


igra 


—Lxoascus communis Sadebeck ( 
60 on Pin 


PLATE XVI. 


rf alee CM ced 


PLATE XVII.—/igs. 67, 62, 63, Hxoascus mirabilis Atkinson (on P. angusti- 
Jolia Marshall) ; 66, 67, EF. mirabilis Atkinson (on P. americana Mar- 
shall) ; 64, 65, EH. mirabilis var. tortilis Atkinson (on P, an- 
gustifolia Marshall). 


PLATE XVIII.—/igs. 68. 70, 71, 72, Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson (on P. 
hortulana L. 1. Bailey, 71 on var. mineri). 69, Exoascus Sp. (on 
shoot of P. domestica L.). Fig. 73, Exoascus cecidomophilus 

Atkinson (on P. virginiana L.). 


’ 


PLATE XIX.—/1e's. 74-77, Hxvoascus decipiens Atkinson (on P. americana 
Marshall ); 78, 79, E. cectdomophilus Atkinson (on P. virginiana L.). 


)- 


PLATE XX.—Figs. 87, 82, 83. Exoascus mirabilis Atkinson (on P. angusti- 
Jolia Marshall), 80, 84, Exoascus sp. (on P. virginiana L.). 


ig i en tl Re ae . ; ; 
/ 7 -) ie (o 5 
: (One (AArertwa Yr ALAS 


Bulletin 108. January, 18096. 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


ENTOMOLOGICAL DIVISION. 


THE PEAR GPSY LUA 


AND 


THE NEW YORK PLUM SCALE. 


By M. V. SLINGERLAND. 


_ PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY. 
ITHACA, N. Y. 
1896. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL. 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN. 


Hon. A. D. WHITE, : - 
Professor I. P. ROBERTS, 


Trustee of the University. 
- Prestecny pie Agricultural Society. 


Professor I. P. ROBERTS, - - - Agriculture, 
Professor G. C, CALDWELL, " : = - - Chemistry. 
Professor JAMES LAW, - - - - - Veterinary Science. 
Professor A. N. PRENTISS, - - - - % Botany. 
Professor J. H. COMSTOCK, - - . - - Entomology. 
Professor L. H. BAILEY, - - - - - Horticulture. 
Professor H. H. WING, - - - - Dairy Husbandry. 
Professor G. F. ATKINSON, - - - Cryptogamic Botany. 
OFFICERS OF THE STATION, 

I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - - = Director. 

EB: L).sWiIbbiaMs ee - - - - - Treasurer. 

H, W. SMITH, - - - - - - Clerk. 

ASSISTANTS, 

M. V. SLINGERLAND,~ - : - - Entomology. 

G. W. CAVANAUGH, - = - - - Chemistry. 

EK. G. LODEMAN, - - - - Horticulture. 

L. A. CLINTON, - - - - - Agriculture. 

K.J. DURAND, - - - - - . Botany. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
\ The regular bulletins of the Station are sent free to all who request them. 


BULLETINS OF 1806. 


106, Revised Opinions of the Japanese Plum. 


107. 


Wireworms and The Bud Moth. 


108. The Pear Psylla and The New York Plum Scale. 


I. THE PEAR PSYLLA.* 


Psylla pyricola Forster. 


During the past five years this minute insect has inflicted such 
severe losses upon pear growers in various parts of the country 
that it threatens to seriously interfere with the successful cultiva- 
tion of this fruit. 


Its History, DISTRIBUTION AND DESTRUCTIVENESS. 


The insect is an old offender, and like most of our other import- 
ed insect pests, it has wrought much more destruction here than 
in Europe, its native home. It was probably first introduced into 
this country upon young pear trees imported from Europe in 1832 
by Dr. Ovid Plumb of Salisbury, Conn.;} during the next five 
years he lost several hundred trees from its ravages. By 1848 it 
had spread into Massachusetts and into Dutchess and Columbia 
counties in New York. It is not again recorded as injurious 
until 1871, and then in Illinois ; this State seems yet to be the 
western limit of its range. In 1879, it was destructive at Ithaca 
and at Saratoga, N. Y. A dozen years passed without any record 
ofits injury. Then in 1891 it suddenly appeared in enormous 
numbers in restricted localities in quite widely separated portions 
of this and other states, and thousands of dollars worth of fruit 
and many valuable trees were ruined by its ravages. Pear orch- 
ards at Fitchburg, Mass., Meriden, Conn., and Pomona, Md., 
were devastated. In this State, it was especially destructive, or- 
chards in the eastern, central and western portions suffering 
severely, many trees ultimately dying. One orchard near Ithaca 


* This insect was discussed in detail in Bulletin 44, issued in October, 1892. 
There was so great a demand for the bulletin that the issue was exhausted in 
about a year. While this discussion includes an abstract of bulletin 44, it 
also contains much new material, especially in regard to the distribution of 
the insect, its natural enemies, and to the methods of fighting it. 

+ The evidence submitted by Dr. Lintner (Ninth Rept. p. 319) to show 
that this insect ‘‘may have been operating in the State of New York as early 
as in 1824, if not in the preceding century,”’ is far from conclusive. 


70 BULLETIN 108. 


promised 600 bushels of fruit, but less than 50 matured ; and Mr. 
G. T. Powell at Ghent had an estimated yield of 1,200 barrels re- 
duced to less than roo barrels of marketable fruit. 

At the time we wrote bulletin 44 (1892), the insect was known 
to occur only in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois 
and possibly in Michigan; its occurrence in Maryland, noted 
above, was not recorded until 1894. 

In 1892 it was found abundant in Ohio. In 1893 it was discov- 
ered in New Jersey, and we also received it from Thomaston, Me. 
In 1894it was found to be quite generally distributed over New 
Jersey and had appeared in Canada (Freeman, Ont.) and Virginia 
for the first time. The same vear it invaded a Maryland orchard 
(Chestertown, Md.) of over 20,000 trees in overwhelming num- 
bers, and was quite destructive to several orchards in western 
New York. This year (1895) we have learned of no serious out- 
breaks of the pest. We have, however, received it from Clinton, 
' Mich., where it did considerable damage in 1894. 

We believe the insect is now present in alarming numbers in 
most of the pear orchards in New York State. We have not fail- 
- ed to find itin any orchard, examined for this purpose, in west- 
ern New York, especially in Niagara county and in the vicinity 
of Rochester. Specimens have been sent us from Coxsackie, Pa- 
vilion, Milton, Carlton, and Dansville, N. Y.; and it has been 
recorded from Athens, Menands, Catskill and Baltimore, N.Y. 

Thus the range of the insect has been greatly increased since 
1892. It now ranges from Maine southward through Massa- 
chusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and into Virginia ; 
and westward through New York, Canada, Ohio and Illinois to 
the Mississippi river, beyond which it has not yet been recorded. 


How 1T SPREADS. 


In spite of its wide distribution, it seems to be rather a local 
insect, and its spread from orchard to orchard rather slow. Some 
of Coe Brothers’ orchards at Meriden, Conn., have been badly in- 
fested for fifteen years and yet it had not appeared (in 1892) in 
one orchard set in 1881 only half a mile distant. 

Our New York nurserymen are reported to be responsible for 
its introduction into Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Canada. 
In nearly every case, it is claimed, the source of infestation can 


THE PEAR PSYLLA. 71 


be directly traced to pear stocks bought of New York nurserymen 
in 1890 or 1891, or about the time the pest was so numerous in 
this State. It is supposed that the hibernating form of the insect 
is thus distributed. 


Its CLASSIFICATION AND NAME. 


This pear pest is one of the true bugs and belongs to the family 
Psyllidae, commonly known as jumping plant-lice from the leap- 
ing habit of the adult insects. Thirty-four species of Psyllids 
have thus far been described from the United States. 

Psylla pyricola, although it was observed in this country in 
1833, received its name in Hurope fifteen years later. Previous 
to 1848, European writers had referred to the species as Psylla pyrt, 
not distinguishing it from that species. /Psylla pyricola sometimes 
attacks the apple-tree in Europe, but it seems to confine its attacks 
to the pear in this country. 


INDICATIONS OF ITS PRESENCE. 


During severe attacks of this pest, old trees put forth but little 
new growth, new.shoots often droop and wither in May, the 
leaves turn yellow and the fruit grows but little, and in midsum- 
mer the leaves and half-formed fruit often fall from the trees. 
The insect also indicates its presence by secreting large quantities 
of a sweet, water-like, sticky liquid called ‘‘ honey dew’’ which 
often covers all parts of the tree; it has literally rained from the 
leaves in some cases and smeared the backs of horses during cul- 
tivation.* A black fungus soon grows all through this honey- 
dew and thus gives the tree a disgusting blackish appearance as 
if treated with a thin coat of black paint or soot. Pear trees of 
all varieties and ages are attacked in this State. 

Although the indications of the presence of some enemy is so 
conspicuous, the depredator is so small as to be easily overlooked. 


* During the severe attack in Maryland in 1894, ‘‘the leaves were scarcely 
at all yellowed, but were covered with dead and dry patches or spots, some- 
times invading almost the entire leaf.’’ It seemed to be due “to the sun- 
scalding resulting from the collection of the honey-dew on the leaves in. 
large drops.”’ 


72 BULLETIN 108. 


Its APPEARANCE. 


The immature insect.—These curious, minute, oval, immature 
forms are called nymphs. ‘The newly-hatched ones (Fig. 43) are 
yellow in color, with crimson eyes, 
and can scarcely be seen with the 
unaided eye. During their growth 
they gradually acquire the black 
markings, shown in the frontispiece 
and in figure 40, and become tinged 
with red.. A very conspicuous fea- 
ture in the full-grown nymph is the 
large black wing-pads on each side 
of the body. 

The adult inseet.—In this form 
(Fig. 41) the insect strikingly resem- 
10-—Fullgrown nymph’ of the pear > DIGS @R@lGa caso Ore am harvest-fly 

psyllu,veniralveew, greatly enlarged. i miniature, Its senetalsea amas 

crimson with broad black bands across the abdo- 
men. Its thickened femora enable it to jump 
like a flea. In the male insect the abdomen 
terminates in a large trough-shaped segment 
from which project upward three narrow copu- 
lating organs; the end of the abdomen of the 
female resembles a bird’s beak. 


Its LIFE-HISTORY. 


But little was known of the life-history of the 
pear psylla, either in Europe or in this country, 1 Poe 
previous to the publication of our bulletin No. 44 te adult insect, 
a fone much enlarged, 

Flow ut passes the winter.—The insect hibernates in the adult 
stage, hidden in the crevices under the loosened bark on the trunk 
and large limbs of the pear trees ; a favorite hiding place on some 
trees is in the cavity formed by the bark growing about the scar 
of a severed limb. During warm days they often crawl about on 
the branches and trunk. They are not easily seen as they are so 
small and their color so closely imitates the bark. 

Egg: laying of the winter brood.—During the first warm spring 
weather the adults come from their hiding places, copulate, and 


THE PEAR PSYLLA. 73 


egg-laying soon begins. In this State, most of the eggs are usu- 
ally laid before April 25. They are placed in the creases of the 
bark, or in old leaf scars, about the bases of the terminal buds of 
the preceding year’s growth; some occur about the side buds 
near the terminal ones. They are usually laid 
singly but rows of eight or ten sometimes 
occur. The eggs (Fig. 42) are scarcely visible 
to the unaided eye; it would take eighty of 42—Z¢¢ of pear psylia, 
them placed end to end to measure an inch. 27°” “0784 
They are elongate pyriform in shape, smooth and shining, and 
of a light orange-yellow color when first laid, becoming darker 
before hatching. A short stalk on the larger end attaches the 
egg to the bark, and a long thread-like process projects from the 
smaller end. 

The temperature conditions in the spring influence the time of 
oviposition and the duration of the egg-state. In 1892, the eggs 
were from seventeen days to three weeks in hatching. Hatching 
usually begins about May roth. By the 18th, most of na nymphs 
are out, and their parents have disappeared. 

flabits of the nymphs.—Immediately after emerging, which 
usually happens about the time the leaves are expanding, the 
minute nymph (Fig. 43) seeks its favorite feed- 
ing place, the axils of the leaf petioles and 
later on stems of the forming fruit. When 
these axils become full they gather on the 
leaves. Their food consists entirely of the sap 
of the tree which they suck through a short, 

sharp, beak. Unless disturbed, they move 
43.—Newly-hatched r : 3 
numph of pear psylla, about but very little, sometimes becoming 
iy hed RES che covered with their own honey-dew. They 
Toe okie? “stop feeding only when their skin gets too 
small and they cast it off for a new elastic one that they grow 
just beneath the old one. 

Flabits of the adult.—The strong legs and wings of the adult 
enable it to spring up and fly away with surprising quickness 
upon the slightest unnatural jar. The hibernating forms are not 
as active, and are readily captured. The adults also feed upon 
the sap by means of a sharp beak, but seem to have no favorite 
feeding place. 


74 BULLETIN 108. 


Egg-laying, and habits during the summer.—In about a month 
after emerging from the egg in the spring, the nymphs become 
full grown and at the last casting of the skin the adult insects 
appear. 

This first brood, appearing about June ro, and all subsequent 
summer broods of the adults, differ strikingly from those that 
hibernate. ‘The winter forms differ in size, being nearly one-third 
larger, in their much darker coloring, and especially in the dark- 
er coloration of the front wings. Thus in this pear psylla we 
have a case of true dimorphism ; the winter form had been de- 
scribed asa distinct species, Psylla stmulans. 

In about a week after their transformation from the nymph stage, 
the summer adults copulate and begin laying eggs for another 
brood. ‘These eggs do not differ from those laid by the winter 
forms, but they are laid singly or ih groups, not on the bark of 
the twigs, but on both sides of the leaves tucked in among the 
hairs along the midrib or adroitly placed in the notches of the 
’ toothed edge of the leaf. They hatch in from eight to ten days. 

A carefil study was made of one generation of the insect in 
1892 and the many interesting details then learned have been re- 
corded in bulletin 44. It was found that the nymphs cast their 
skin five times at intervals of from three to seven days, the adult 
insect appearing at the fifth or last moult. So life-like were some 
of the cast-skins as they were left on the leaves by the nymphs, 
that it often required close examination with a lens to determine 
if the object was alive or only a nymph’s cast off garment. In 
each stage the nymphs secreted globules of honey-dew several 
times larger than themselves. Although the adults feed, they do 
not grow, nor do not seem to secrete any honey-dew, but void 
considerable quantities of a whitish excrement. The summer 
adults probably live for less than a month, while those that hiber- 
nate remain alive for at least six months. 

Number of broods.—Our observations indicate at least four 
broods in this State; the adults were the most numerous on or 
about June 15th, July 20th, August 20th, and September 25th, or 
a brood appeared about once a month. Apparently a fifth brood 
appeared in Maryland in 1894. The adults emerging in Septem- 
ber and later were the hibernating form. 

Floney-dew and excrement.—The honey-dew occurs in such im- 


~ 
¢ 
wl 


= 


THE PERKAR: PSYLLA. | 75 


mense quantities that it seems almost impossible that it is all 
secreted by the nymphs, and yet such is the fact. We found that 
one nymph secreted at least four drops (i. e. four minims) before 
it became an adult. In the case of the nymphs most of the food 
is elaborated into honey: dew ; some is assimilated, and the waste 
matter voided as excrement. The adults, however, seem to 
secrete no honey-dew, and consequently they void considerable 
quantities of excrement. 

The honey-dew and excrement are very different substances, © 
The former is a clear water-like liquid and forms into globules 
when secreted. ‘The excrement, however, is a whitish semi- 
solid substance which is voided in long cylindrical strings, or 
minute whitish balls which roll from the anus like quicksilver 
globules. The honey-dew seems to be secreted from the anus 
with the excrement. 


Its NATURAL ENEMIES. 


When we wrote in 1892, no enemies of the pear psylla had 
been recorded ; we had heard rumors that a lady-bug beetle was 
destroying them in some localities but there was nothing definite. 

However, during the outbreak in Maryland in 18g4, at least 
two predaceous insects were found feeding on the psyllas, one of 
which did very efficient work. As both of the insects are com- 
mon in our State, pear-growers should learn to know them. One 
is a common lace-winged fly, Chrysopa oculata. Its various 
stages are well illustrated in figure 44. It is such an interesting 
creature and proved such an efficient foe of the psylla in Mary- 
land that we give a brief sketch of its life. 

The adult (Fig. 44, 5) isa beautiful, dainty creature with its 
wings and body of a pea-green color, and with a pair of large 
eyes that shine like melted gold. It is a very helpless creature, 
does not feed at all, and remains concealed in low grass during 
the day, becoming active and depositing its eggsin the evening. 
It emits a very disgusting odor when handled. ‘‘ The lace-wing 
is a prudent mother; she knows that if she lays her eggs to- 


gether on a leaf the first aphis-lion (as the young are called) that 


hatches will eat for its first meal all his unhatched brothers and 
sisters. She guards against this fratricide by laying each egg on 
the top of a stiff stalk of hard silk about half an inch high 


76 BULLETIN 108. 


(Fig. 4, a). Groups of these eggs are very pretty, looking like 
a tiny forest of white stems bearing on their summits round glis- 
tening fruit. When the first of the brood hatches, he scrambles 
down as best he can from his egg perch to the surface of the leaf, 
and runs off, quite unconscious that the rest of the family are re- 
posing in peace high above his head.’”’ (Comstock’s Manual for 
the Study of Insects, p. 187). 

Mr. Marlatt, who observed its work in Maryland, says of the 
young aphis-lion : ‘‘On approaching the egg or young psylla 
nymyh, it immediately grasps it between its long, curved, man- 
dible-like organs, which amount to two sucking tubes, between 
the tips of which the egg or young nymph is held and rolled one 
way and the other, as between thumb and finger, the juicy con- 
tents being in the meantime rapidly extracted ; the dry shell is 
cast aside, the whole operation frequently taking less than a min- 
ute. The aphis-lion is an extremely hungry one and is always 
. seeding. It eats anything that comes in its way, is totally fear- 


Dy ys 
vi Ge 
Ne 
N 
¥) 


“J 
NY 


44.—Chrysopa oculata. a, eggs, b, full-grown larva or aphis-lion ; d, larva 
devouring an adult psylla,; e, cocoon, f, adult insect ; g, front view of the 
head of the adult—all enlarged. (Reduced from figure by U.S. Dept. 


of Agr.) 
less, and is also, unfortunately, cannibalistic, eating its own kind 
with great readiness. It is a safe estimate to say that one aphis- 
lion will destroy several hundred eggs and nymphs of the psylla, 
in addition to the adults which it will destroy (see d in figure 44) 


THE PEAR PSYLLA. 77 


in its later larval growth.’’ In about ten days the aphis-lion be- 
comes fully grown (Fig 44, 6) and rolls itself up into a tiny ball 
and weaves around ita glistening, white cocoon (e in figure 44), 
which looks like a seed-pearl. Possibly while secluded in this 
pearly cell the aphis-lion repents its greedy, murderous ways, and 
changesin spirit. In from ten to fourteen days, a neat lid is cut 
from the upper end of the cocoon (see ¢ in figure 44) and an ac- 
tive pupa* wriggles out, from which in an hour or so the dainty 
lace-wing emerges. There are several broods of this predaceous 
enemy of the psylla during the year. 

It is to be hoped that this lace-wing may see fit to include the 
pear psylla in its menu in New York State, where there is abun- 
dant opportunity for it to do our pear growers as efficient service 
as it has rendered in Maryland. 

The other insect enemy of the pear psylla is the very common 
red lady-bug (ddalia bt punctata) with a black spot on each 
wing-cover 
(Fig.45, ¢). 
Viel Se.so 
common 
that if it 
canbe in- 
duced to 
feed freely 
upon the 
pear psylla 
et wi 1.1 N 
og SI A A aaa a roe 


very eff- 
cient aid in the warfare against the pest. It is predaceous in both 
its larval (Fig. 45, 2) and adult stages. Mr. Marlatt saw a beetle 
with an adult psylla in its mandibles in the Maryland orchard ; 


* Most writers state that the adult emerges from the cocoon, but, as was 
pointed out by Dr. Shimer in 1865 and by Dr. Riley in 1869, what they have 
called the pseudo-imago or sub-imago comes from the cocoon. The names 
given this stage of the insect are misleading, as they properly apply toa 
winged stage preceding the imago stage of may flies. In the case of the 
lace-winged flies, their wpe are sufficiently active to force their way out of 
the cocoon. 


78 BULLETIN 108. 


and he says one of the beetles cleaned the eggs from the leaves of 
a young pear tree in his breeding cage about as fast as upwards of 
50 to75 psyllas laidthem. He reared from the egg state a brood 
of the lady-bug beetles on the eggs and nymphs of the pear 
psylla. Ourcorrespondent in Clinton, Mich., writes that he has 
*“noticed the common lady-bird feeding on the nymphs of the 
psylla.’’ 

Birds have been seen picking the adult psyllas out of their 
winter retreats in Niagara county ; so industrious were the birds 
that but few psyllas were leit on some trees. 


How TO COMBAT THE PEAR PSYLLA. 


The eggs.—Although the eggs laid early in the spring are 
freely exposed on the bark to the action of insecticides, yet we 
were surprised to find that many of them hatched after they had 
_been dipped in kerosene oil, turpentine, benzine, and several of 


the washes used for killing scale insects. Mr. Marlatt reports 


that in July he killed many of the eggs laid on the leaves, by 
spraying with a kerosene or whale-oil soap emulsion diluted with 
from seven to nine partsof water. However, as many of the eggs 
cannot be killed in this way and as the insect can be combated 
much more effectively in another stage, we do not consider it ad- 
visable to fight it in the egg-stage. 

The nymphs.—Our experiments in 1892, showed that the 
nymphs in all stages were quickly killed by kerosene emulsion.* 
Others who have tested it thoroughly report success. 

Usually most of the damage is done in this State by the first 
brood of nymphs before June r5th. It is therefore very important 


* The formula is % pound hard or soft soap, 1 gallon water, 2 gallons kero- 
sene. 

First, thoroughly dissolve the soap in boiling water. While this solution 
is still very hot add the kerosene; if the whole is then left over the fire for a 
few moments to raise the temperature of the kerosene slightly, it will facili- 
tate the emulsifying process. Remove from the fire and quickly begin to 
agitate the whole mass through a syringe or force pump of some kind ; draw 
the liquid into the pump and force it back into the dish. Continue this 
operation for five minutes or until the whole mass assumes a creamy color 
and consistency which will adhere to the sides of the vessel, and not glide off 
like oil. If desired for use immediately, it may now be readily diluted with 


THE PEAR PSYLLA. 79 


that the insect should be checked early in the season. We now 
advise using the emulsion diluted with about fifteen parts of 
water, instead of with twenty-five, as it is more effective against 
the nymphs, and it will also kill the adult insects. As the 
nymphs begin to hatch just as the leaves are expanding, then is 
the time to begin spraying ; about May 15th is usually the time 
in this State. Where they are numerous, a second or third spray- 
ing will be necessary. Zhe emulsion must be applied liberally and 
thoroughly , it will not injure the tree in the least. It is much 
more difficult to fight the insect later in the summer, when the 
tree is in full foliage and many of the nymphs are covered with 
honey-dew. Watch for their appearance on the unfolding leaves 
in the spring and act promptly. Spray two or three times in a 
week if necessary ; make every effort to prevent the development 
of a second brood. 

The adults.—In bulletin 44 we suggested that a thorough wash- 
.ing of the trunks and larger branches of the trees in winter with 
kerosene emulsion (at least five per cent. kerosene), or a strong 
soap solution, would destroy many of the adults in hibernation 
in the crevices of the bark. It is reported that a whale oil soap 
solution has been thus used very effectively in New Jersey. We 
believe it is a practical method, and should be practiced in in- 
fested orchards. 

We once saw hundreds of the hibernating adults congregated 
on the smooth trunks of a large block of young standard pear 
trees. There were twenty-five or more on each tree, and all of 
them on the same sides of the trees. It was a short job witha 
rag or mitten to grasp the tree at the base, draw the hand up the 
trunk, and thus crush the psyllas. 

Is it practicable to fight the adults in summer? They are then 


cold water, preferably with rain water. Or the whole mass may be allowed 
to cool when it has a semi-solid form, not unlike loppered milk. This stock 
if covered and placed in a cool dark place will keep for alongtime. In 
making a dilution from this cold stock emulsion, it is necessary to measure 
out the amount of the emulsion required and first dissolve it in three or four 
parts of boiling water; if cold water be used a large quantity of a white 
flocculent mass rises to the surface and does not dissolve. After the stock 
emulsion is dissolved, cold water may be added in the required quantities. 
If all the utensils are clean, and the directions followed closely, no free oil 
will rise to the surface of the dilution. 


80 BULLETIN 108. 


often very numerous but are very shy and active, and fly from the 


tree the moment the spray strikes it. It would thus seem that 
‘‘ spraying has practically no value against the adults during 
their active summer existence’’ (Mr. Marlatt). However, sev- 
eral of our New York pear growers have demonstrated the prac- 
ticability of fighting the adult insect. In 1894, the presence of 
the pest in destructive numbers was not suspected in one Niagara 
county orchard until the leaves began to drop off in July. The 
kerosene emulsion spray was at once directed against the enemy 
with the result that it at once brought down millions of the adults, 
their dead bodies being thickly strewn about the spraying appar- 
atus. Although the insect had gotten such a start in the 
orchard, it was so effectively checked with the emulsion that but 
few psyllas were to be found in 1895. Mr. Geo. T. Powell, who 
has had more practical experience with this insect than any 
other fruit grower in the state, also sends us the following brief, 
‘ yet graphic, account of his fight with the insect in 1894: 

‘‘May roth. Eggs began to hatch and we spraved with kero- 
sene emulsion, diluted 1 to 20. 

May 15th. The nymphs began to get out in full force, when 
we began spraying with great thoroughness. When the wind 
blows hard, the spraying is not done so effectively, especially in 
the tops of quite tall trees. 

May 16th. Sprayed asecond orchard. The day is clear and 
still. The work is very much more effective, killing the young 
psyllas quickly and in all parts of the tree. 

May 17th. Sprayed the first orchard again. Many insects 
alive, the emulsion not having hit them thoroughly on account 
of high winds. Unless the insect is destroyed, the fruit will be 
worthless. 

June 5th. After several rainy days, sprayed pear trees again 
and for the last time as the psylla seems to be pretty well 
knocked out by this time; only a few nymphs are feeding, but 
quite a number of adults about the tree. 

June 11th. Finding a few nymphs still coming out and work- 
ing, we spray again and at the same time bring down millions of 
the adults that escaped former sprayings. The day is very still 
and warm. The greatest possible force is given the spray, which 
goes over the tops of the highest trees. The stones on the ground 
and the platform of the machine are covered with dead adults. 
A sheet is placed under a small tree, and after spraying but ten 
seconds, 150 adults fell upon the sheet and in five minutes go per 
cent. of them were dead. 

After discovering the extent to which the adults were being de- 


— 


THE PEAR PSYLLA. 81 


stroyed, the entire orchards were gone over, extra force being 
given to the spray to bring down as many adults as possible, 
thereby lessening largely the number to multiply next year. 

We used a hand-pump on the Phillip’s sprayer and stopped at 
each tree, spraying very thoroughiy before leaving it. Thereis 
no power machine that will do this work thoroughly enough as 
yet ; for pressure on the pump cannot be kept on strong enough 
or long enough to do the work effectually. 

Results.—Notwithstanding a very long and severe drouth, we 
brought through a very good crop of pears of excellent quality, 
the first good crop in four years. ‘The trees made growth and 
have quite rallied from an almost hopeless condition of decline. 

June 18th, 1890. I very thoroughly annihilated the psylla last 
year. My pear orchard is improving remarkably. Sprayed only 
once this season, they were so few.’’ 


Mer greet. 


Disheartened pear growers cannot fail to find much encourage- 
ment in the above account of how the ravages of this pear 
psylla were checked in one of the worst afflicted orchards in our 
State. 


82 BULLETIN 108. 


Il. THE NEW YORK PLUM: SCALE, 


Lecanium juglandis? Bouché. 


This insect (Fig. 46), which suddenly appeared in overwhelm- 
ing numbers in many of the largest/jplum orchards in western 


46.—Plum branches badly infested with the full- 
grown scales, natural Size. 


New York in 1894, 
was discussed in 
detail in our bulle- © 
tin No. 83, Decem- 
ber 1894. The bul- 
letin is not yet out 
of print and can be 
obtained by ad- 
dressing the Direc- 
tor of the Experi- 
ment Station. Sev- 
eral new and 
important facts 
have been learned 
about the insect 
since the bulletin 
was published, and 
these are included 
in the following 
notes which aim to 
give fruit-growers 
the latest news 
about this serious 
pest. 

Extent of tts dam- 
age in 1894.—The 
serious picture we 
drew in bulletin 83 
of the ravages of 


the insect did not tell half the truth. Before the winter was far 
advanced, it was found that the strain on many trees from so 
many millions of little pumps sucking out their vital fluid—the 


THE NEw YORK PLUM SCALE. 83 


sap—had been too great. In one orchard three hundred of the 
oldest bearing trees had succumbed in January, and three hun- 
dred more died before spring. 

Liffect of the winter of 1894-95 on the scales.—When winter set 
in, each one of 50,000 of the best plum trees in western New York 
harbored millions of the little scales, thus threatening the entire 
destruction of thousands of these trees in, 1895. The situation 
was exceedingly serious. However, in January it was reported 
at the meeting of the Western New York Horticultural Society 
that ‘‘a large percentage of the insects were being killed by the 
winter.’’ We at once made a careful examination of many infest- 
ed branches sent in by correspondents in different localities, and 
found that the report was well founded ; the good news was for- 
tunately true. From 50 to 75 percent. of the scales were then 
dead, and evidently more succumbed later for we believe that in 
most orchards less than 25 per cent. of those that went into hiber- 
nation in the fall were alive in April, 1895. Apparently those 
most exposed died first, indicating that weather conditions of 
some sort may have caused their death. But whether it was due 
solely to low temperature, or to the sharp, dry, chilling winds that 
prevailed, we cannot say. 

Extent of damage tn 1895.—So far as we have learned, all those 
who suffered so severely from the insect in 1894, are unanimous 
in their opinion that but very little damage has been done by it 
in their orchards this year ; and it has not been numerous enough 
to attract particular attention except on a few trees. This general 
exemption from injury this year was due to three principal causes, 
First, a majority of the scales died from some cause during the 
winter, thus greatly checking the future development of the in- 
sect. Second, most of those having infested trees carried on a 
vigorous warfare against the pest with the kerosene emulsion, both 
in the fall and early spring. ‘Third, thousands of the scales were 
killed by minute parasites in the spring, and the lady-bug beetles 
which feed upon the scales were unusually numerous and active 
during the summer. _ 

However,a few orchards suffered considerably from the insect this 
year ; we learned of one apple orchardin Niagara county that was 
quite badly injured. On the whole, the insect did very little dam- 
age in 1895 compared with the destruction wrought in 1894. 


84 BULLETIN 108. 


The future outlook.—What little information we have indicates 
that the insect is going into hibernation in considerable numbers 
on some trees, but the outlook for 1896 is encouraging. Never- 
theless, it will not do to be too sanguine. Every tree known to 
harbor the pest should be carefully examined this fall, during the 
winter, and especially early in the spring. 

Previous to last year, New York orchards had never suffered 
from the attacks of this or any other Lecanium scale, and they 
may not be threatened so seriously again for many years to come. 
But we can never tell when to expect most of our insect foes to 
appear in alarming numbers, so that our fruit growers must be 
continually on the alert and watch this plum pest closely every 
year. 

Its name.—Experts are not yet agreed upon the name this 


Lecanium should bear. It has lately been decided by Mr. New- 


stead, of England, that it is identical with the Kuropen insect— 
- Lecanium prunastri. Messrs. Cockerell and Maskell conclude 
that it is probably identical with Lecantum juglandis which 
Bouché found on black. walnut in Germany over fifty years ago.* 

Its history and distribution.—The fact that isolated specimens 
of this insect can be found on almost any large plum tree in cer- 
tain portions of the State, indicates that it has been with us for 


many years. The few years preceding 1894, happened to offer 


the conditions most favorable for its multiplication in exces- 
sive numbers in western New York; and it then forced itself 
upon our attention by its destructive work. 

Mr. L. O. Howard, U. S. Entomologist, reports (Yearbook of 
U. S. Dept. of Agr. for 1894, p. 272) that there are two 
other distinct kinds of Lecaniums affecting plum trees in the 
United States. Oneof these passes the winter in the same stage 
as does our New York species, while the other hibernates as a 
nearly full-grown, rounded female. Our New York species has 
recently appeared in destructive numbers in Canada. It is also 
more generally distributed over our State than was suspected 


* Mr. Maskell writes us on October 6, 1895: ‘‘I have examined your 
insects, and agree with Mr. Cockerell that on the whole they are nearest to 
Lecanium juglandis. I don’t quite see how your insect can be ZL. prunastri 
which has very marked epidermal puncta. I don’t think you will go far 
wrong in calling it Z. juglandis.”” 


THE NEw York Prom SCALE. 85 


when we wrote bulletin 83. We have received it from Aquetuck, 
Hector, Scoharie (on Prunus simonz), Eastwood and Penn Yan, 
Neee ee 

Its food-plants.—The insect still remains par excellence a plum 
pest, yet several quince and apple trees have been seriously in- 
jured by it. A possible source of infestation for some of the 
orchards near Geneva was found to be an ash grove which was 
very badly injured in 1894 by a Lecanium which is apparently 
the same as the one working on the plum trees. The grove was 
also badly injured this year, the leaves all dropping off during 
the summer. 

Probably the Lecaniums found in such large numbers on maple 
and other forest trees in different parts of the State are distinct 
from the plum Lecanium. 

Its natural enemies.—The small, black, elevated, smooth, para- 
sitized scales described in bul- 
letin 83, p. 693, were very nu- 
merous last spring, and we bred 
many of the minute four- wing: 
ed flies. Mr. L.O. Howard has 
determined them as Coccopha- 
gus lecanit Fitch, a Chalcid 
which iscommon in many parts 
of the country and attacks sev- 
eral different kinds of Lecani- 
ums. This little foe proved a 
valuable ally of the fruit- 
grower last spring, as we 
found a considerable percent- 
age of the scales parasitized. 

From several different 
sources we have learned that 
the twice-stabbed lady-bug 
beetle was very numerous in 
the infested plum trees this 
year. Several groups of the 47.—Spiny larval skins of lady-bug 
spring skins (Fig. 47) shed beetles, natural size. 
by their larvee when they pupate, have been sent in by plum 
growers. Protect these little lady- bugs, as they are doing valiant 
service in the extermination of this pest. 


86 BULLETIN 108. 


Results of sbraying.—All who sprayed with the kerosene emul- 
sion (diluted with 4 parts of water) according to the directions 
given in bulletin 83, report general success. There is no longer 
any question about its killing the scales hit by it. 

During the summer we saw infested trees that had been sprayed 
with different substances to kill the young scales then on the 
leaves. Some of the scales had been killed, but as it was evident 
that a great majority, over 75 per cent., were uninjured, the ap- 
plications were far from a success. The liquids had also injured 
the bloom on what little fruit there was. What results we saw 
fully confirmed our opinion, expressed in bulletin 83, that the 
insect cannot be effectually and practicably checked by sprays 
while it is on the leaves during the summer and early fall. 

Spray infested trees once after the leaves fall in autumn, and at 
least twice in the spring before the buds open. Use kerosene 
emulsion diluted four times, and the application cannot be done 
. too thoroughly ; each little scale must be hit. 

MARK VERNON SLINGERLAND. 


‘ew ark Aavicuttural f epriment Staton 


POPP EAR HOVLION:. 
OF 


Wine Bite TIN No, 117. 


SPRAYING FOR PLUM AND CHERRY LEAF SPOT: 
HOW OFTEN? WHEN? 


MARCH, 1897. 


GRBNBVA, N. yY. 


BOARD OF CONTROL. 


GOVERNOR BLAcK, Albany. 

WILLIAM C. BARRY, Rochester, Monroe County. 
S. H. Hammonp, Geneva, Ontario Co. 

MARTIN V. B. IvkEs, Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co. 
A. C. CHASE, Syracuse, Onondaga Co. 

F. O. CHAMBERLAIN, Canandaigua, Ontario Co. 
F. C. Scpraus, Lowville, Lewis Co. 

NICHOLAS HALLOCK, Queens, Queens Co. 
LYMAN P. HAvILAND, Camden, Oneida Co. 

G. Howarp Davison, Millbrook, Dutchess Co. 


OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 


MARTIN V. B. IvVEs, - - President. 

W. O’ HANLON, - - - Secretary and Treasurer. 

S. H. HAmmonn, | 

W. C.. BARRY, : : 

Lie) (ene Was sci - - Executive Committee. 
J 


F. C. SCHRAUB, 


STATION STAFF. 


W. H. JorRDAN, Sc. D., Director. 

L LAVANsoLyYKEe eR ADs Chemist. 

Wo. P. WHEELER, First Assistant. 

5; AL JBRACH aM ac. ; Horticulturist. 

Vicror H. Lows, B. S., Entomologist. 
*F. A. SIRRINE, M. S., Entomologist. 
*F. C. Stewart, M. S.,- Mycologist. . 
Gro. W. CHURCHILL, Agriculturist and Sup’t of 

Labor. | 

PDH BAL so as Editor and Librarian. 
WENDELL PAappock, B. S., Assistant Horticulturist. 
C. G. JENTER, PH. C., Assistant Chemist. 

A. L. KNISELY, M. S., Assistant Chemist. 

J. ALE CLERC Bass Assistant Chemist. 

TAL D. Coon PHecs Assistant Chemist. 

TW. H. ANDREWS, B. S., Assistant Chemist. 
CoPECrosK (Bo Sis Assistant Horticulturist. 
FRANK E. NEWTON, Clerk and Stenographer. 


Address all correspondence, not to individual members of the 
staff, but to the NEw York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION, GENEVA, N. Y. 

The Bulletins published by the Station will be sent free to 
any farmer applying for them. 


*Connected with Second Judicial Department Branch Station, 
tConnected with Fertilizer Control, 


Se —( CU 


PopuLAR Eprrron* 
OF 


BULLETIN NO. 117. 


SPRAVING FOR PLUM AND CHERRY LEAF SPOT: 
HOW OFTEN? WHEN? 


F. H. HALL. 


The magnitude of the plum and cherry in- 
Importance terests of New York makes of great value 
of these fruits. any means whereby the bearing trees may 

be kept in full vigor, diminished yields 
may be prevented, cost of production be lessened or quality 
of fruit improved. The leaf spot disease has not worked ex- 
cessive injury upon these fruits during 1895 and 1896; yet 
some varieties of plums have been _ seriously affected, 
and conditions favorable to the rapid and dangerous development 
of the disease may arise at any time. The fruit grower, then, 
should be prepared to recognize the symptoms of the affection, 
and to apply just when needed the most efficient and least ex- 
pensive treatment to prevent or to check the ravages of the dis- 
ease and to preserve his trees. 

The leaf spot, as described in Bulletin No. 
Nature of 98 of this Station, which reports the experi- 
leaf spot. ments in its treatment made in 1895, appears 

in the plum orchard soon after the first 
leaves are full grown, minute discolored spots with margins some- 
times tinged purple or red showing upon the upper leaf surface. 
These spots increase in number, enlarge, and frequently unite ; 
the areas become dark brown with pale centers and the withered 


*This isa brief review of Bulletin No. 117 of this Station on Treatment of 
Leaf Spot in Plum and Cherry Orchards in 1896, by S.A. Beach. Anyone 
specially interested in the detailed account of the investigations will be fur- 
nished, upon application, with a copy of the complete Bulletin. 


‘9. : 


tissue often drops out, leaving holes in the leaf. The affected 
foliage frequently turns yellow and falls from the trees so that in 
August the new growth is left almost leafless, and in severe cases 
the entire tree becomes nearly bare. Without leaves the new 
wood can not ripen, the tree is enfeebled and the rigors of winter 
cause injury or death. 


From its work in 1895 the Station can con- 


A sure and fidently recommend the 1 to 11 Bordeaux 
practical mixture as an almost perfect preventive of 
remedy. this disease, as it was equal, if not superior, 


in fungicidal power to the eau celeste soap 
mixture, and it did not ‘‘burn”’ the foliage. 


To make this mixture, add to 1 pound of cop- 


How to per sulphate dissolved in 8 gallons of water 
make a solution of freshly slaked lime, and stir 
Bordeaux thoroughly. Sufficient of the lime solution 
- mixture. should be added to prevent any color re-- 


action when the mixture is tested with potas- 
sium ferrocyanide. About two-thirds of a pound of lime will be 
required. Dilute the entire mixture to 11 gallons. 


The tests during 1896 were to determine 


Experiments whether two applications of this mixture 
on plums would be sufficient to control the disease, and 
in 1896. at what dates the necessary treatment should 


be given. The trials were made in the plum 
orchard of T. C. Maxwell & Bros., of Geneva, N. Y., the-varieties 
selected being Italian Prune (Fellemburg), Guii and Lombard. 
One hundred and sixty-eight trees were included in the test, thus 
making the work sufficiently extensive to give reliable results. 


Early in the season both sprayed and un- 


Extent of sprayed trees seemed quite free from leaf 
the disease spot, but later Italian Prune became seriously 
in 1896. affected. It was estimated that on October 


3 from 50 to go per cent of the foliage upon 
unsprayed trees of this variety had fallen or was injured, while 
Lombard and Guii showed much less liability to the disease. One 
check group of Lombard showed a 25 per cent injury, but the 


3 


other unsprayed trees of the two varieties lost only 10 to 15 per 
cent of their leaves. 
The treatment upon Italian Prune was re- 


Success markably successful. When but two appli- 
of cations were made, on May 25 and June 24, 
treatment. only 6 per cent of the foliage suffered ; with 


three applications, May 14, June 3 and June 
17, the injury was about 3 per cent; and with applications 
May 25, June 17 and July 14, only 2 per cent of the leaves 
showed the disease. The other varieties showed decreased dam- 
age when treated, but because of their apparent less sus- 
ceptibility to the disease the results were not so striking as with 
Italian Prune. The series of three applications beginning May 
25 was slightly more efficient in preventing injury than that be- 
ginning May 14. 

As a result of these tests it is believed that, 


Number of in years when the disease is not specially 
sprayings active, two sprayings, the first made ten 
necessary. — days after the blossoms fall, and the second 


three weeks later, will practically control the 
disease ; but unqualified recommendation of the plan can not be 
made until it is tested in years when the attacks of the disease 
are very severe. Ifa third spraying seems desirable make it three 
or four weeks after the second. It is possible that, with early 
ripening varieties, the late application should be of the eau celeste 
soap mixture, as this has less tendency to show upon the fruit 
when ripe. 

While the disease primarily affects the 
Influence leaves, preventive treatment influenced the 
of spraying fruit very’ decidedly, increasing the size and 
upon fruit yield. preventing much of the premature dropping 

and consequent decrease in yield. The vigor 
of the foliage on the sprayed trees also retarded the date of ma- 
turity of the fruit ; with late varieties later fruit usually means 
better prices, so the gain in yield is not the full measure of the 
increased receipts. The sprayed trees of the Italian Prune gave 
an average gain in yield per tree of 45 per cent by weight over 
the unsprayed trees. The cost of this gain, including the actual 


4 


outlay for spraying and the extra cost for picking, packing and 
marketing the increased crop was less than one cent per pound. 
Less success has rewarded the experiments of 


Results the Station in treatment of leaf spot of 
with cherries. In 1895 Bordeaux mixture ap- 
cherries. plied May 14, May 29 and June 15 and eau 


celeste soap mixture applied June 15 each 
appeared to dimish the amount of fruit rot slightly, but both in- 
jured the foliage. The eau celeste treatment seemed to cause 
more injury than the Bordeaux mixture, but with the variety 
Reine Hortense the reverse was true, a phenomenon as yet un- 
explained. 5 
In 1896 one hundred and fifty-five trees in the orchard of Mr. 
C. K. Scoon, of Geneva, were used for experiment, but so little 
leaf spot appeared that no satisfactory conclusions could be 
drawn. ‘The foliage was not affected by the Bordeaux mixture 
even when the leaves were drenched with the spray, but the 
fruit was marked by spots of the mixture at ripening time, 
nearly two months from the date of application. _ No definite line 
of treatment for leaf spot on bearing cherry trees can as yet be 
recommended. 
The plum grower who is awake to his in- 
Conclusions. terests, then, should give to’ each of his trees, 
about ten days after the blossoms fall, a 
thorough spraying with weak Bordeaux mixture, and repeat the 
application three weeks later. If this is well done and the leaf 
spot is not especially prevalent, a growth of vigorous, healthy 
folhage will protect and nourish alike both fruit and tree. 
An increased yield will be the grower’s immediate gain ; and the 
stronger, well ripened, more resistant wood of his trees will add 
to his confidence when the trying winter season pinches the ten- 
der shoots of disease denuded orchards. 


inet, ¢. baat eg Oe C.. 
Ti 7 


5 ate ~ eo 
4a fev Full AOR tt Fb Moni 
Bae 


- Bulletin 83. December, 1894. pd 


ail 


Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, — 


ENTOMOLOGICAL DIVISION. ye 


f’ PLUM SCALE @ 


IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 


By M. V. SLINGERLAND. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 


1894. 


ORGANIZATION. 


BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL. 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN, 


Hon. A. D. WHITE, : - - - Trustee of the University, 
Hon. JOHN B. DUTCHER, - - tae State Agricultural Society 
Professor I. P. ROBERTS, - - - - Agriculture, 
Professor G. C. CALDWELL, - - - - - Chemistry, 
Professor JAMES Law, - - - - - Veterinary Science, 
Professor A. N PRENTISS, - - - - Botany. 
Professor J. H. COMSTOCK, - - : - - Entomology, 
Professor |. H. BAILEY, - - - - - Horticulture, 
Professor H. H. WING, - - . Dairy Husbandry, 
Professor G. F. ATKINSON, - - - Cryptogamic Botany, 
OFFICERS OF THE STATION. 

I. P. ROBERTS, - - > . - Director, 

EK. L. WILLIAMS, - - - - - - Treasurer. 

H. W. SMITH, - - - .- - - Clerk. 

ASSISTANTS. 

M. V. SLINGERLAND, - - - - Entomology. 

Gro. C. WATSON, - - - ~ - Agriculture. 

G. W. CAVANAUGH, - - - - hemistry. 

EK. G. LODEMAN, - - - - Horticulture. 

MICHAEL BARKER, - - = < Horticulture. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
Those desiring this Bulletin sent to friends will please send us the names 


of the parties. 


BULLETINS OF 1894. 


The Japanese Plums in North America. 

Co-operative Test of Sugar Beets. 

On Certain Grass-Eating Insects. 

Tuberculosis in Relation to Animal Industry and Public Health. 

Test of Cream Separators. 

Some Recent Chinese Vegetables. 

The Cultivated Poplars. 

Hints on the Planting of Orchards. 

The Native Dwarf Cherries. 

Apricot Growing in Western New York. 

The Cultivation of Orchards. 

Leaf Curl and Plum Pockets. 

Impressions of the Peach Industry in Western New York. 

Peach Yellows. 

Some Grape Troubles of Western New York. 

The Grafting of Grapes. 

The Cabbage Root Maggot, with notes on the Onion Maggot and Allied 
Insects. 

Varieties and Leaf-Blight of the Strawberry. 

The Quince in Western New York. 

Biack-Knot of Plums and Cherries, and Methods of Treatment. 

Experiments with Tuberculin on Nontuberulous Cows. 

A Plum Scale in Western New York. 


CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHAcA, N. Y., Dec. 20, 1894. 
THE HONORABLE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, ALBANY. 


Siv. Probably the most serious enemy which has appeared in 
New York orchards in many years is a scale insect, which at- 
tacks plums and some other trees. It is not known how long the 
insect has been a resident of the state, but it has not attracted the 
attention of orchardists until within the last year or two; yet even 
now it threatens the entire destruction of thousands of trees in the 
counties of Niagara, Monroe and Ontario. The full life history of 

the insect is not yet understood and its scientific name is not de- 
termined; but Mr. Slingerland has made a careful study of it 
during the summer and has discovered enough of its characteris- 
‘tics to enable him to give competent advice for its destruction. It 
can be destroyed by persistent spraying between now and spring. 
This bulletin is essentially a report of progress in the study of this 
scale, and in order to aid the reader in distinguishing it from the 
San José scale, which has recently appeared in the state, an illus- 
tration of the latter insect is inserted. The bulletin is approved 
by Professor Comstock. The whole account is submitted as a 
bulletin in compliance with Section 87, Chapter 675, of the laws 
of 1894. I. H. BAILEY. 


THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 
1, Lnfested branch; 2, infested leaf; 3, pear, bearing a few of the 
3a Rept., Cal, 


scales» 4, female scale—enlarged ; 5, male scale—enlarged. 


vom report of W. G. Klee, 
Inserted for comparison with the 


(Adapted fi 
Bd. Hort.) 

western New York plum scale, described 

in the following pages. 


A PLUM SCALE. 


Lecantum sp. 
Order HEMIPTERA; family CoccIDA. 


Heretofore, the scale insects have played but a very small part 
in the havoc annually resulting from the attacks of insect pests 
in the northern and eastern parts of the United States. In the 
extreme western (California) and southern (Florida and Louis- 
jana) states, however, most of the energy expended by fruit 
growers in combating their foes has to be directed against this 
class of insects, which there take first rank as pests. But, during 
the past year, two scale insects appeared in such numbers in some 
of the northern’ and eastern states as to greatly alarm fruit 
growers. One of these is the dreaded San José Scale (A sfzazotus 
pernicitosus) of California, which has recently appeared in our 
state, especially on Long Island. Figures of this pernicious scale 
are given on the preceding page to familiarize fruit growers with 
its appearance, and also more especially for comparison with 
those of another scale which now threatens the plum indus- 
try. This latter scale has doubtless been present in eastern plum 
orchards for years, apparently awaiting certain conditions that 


seem at last to have occurred in certain localities, but more 


especially in western New York. 

The past year, several of the largest and finest plum orchards 
in our state have suffered severely from this plum scale. In one or- 
chard of over 2000 trees, one fourth of the immense crop was not 
worth picking and most of theremainder was badly damaged. But 
still more alarming than this isthe fact that there are morethan 50,- 
ooo of the best plum treesin western New York, which, at the present 
moment, are harboring millions of these scales; and unless these 
are destroyed this winter or in the spring, they will literally over- 
run these trees with such dire results as we scarcely dare predict. 
In short, the indications are that if this pest is allowed to begin 
work in full forcein the spring of 1895, it will soon ruin some of 
the finest plum orchards in the state. 


682 BULLETIN 83. 


Our study of this new pest has not progressed far enough to 
enable us to present a complete account, but fortunately the work 
has reached a stage when we can confidently recommend an effec- 
tive method for checking the insect before another season opens. 
We feel that the gravity of the situation demands that the fruit 
growers be made acquainted at once with the facts already learned. 


THE INSECT’S APPEARANCH. 


Fortunately, the larger, conspicuous, brown, dead scale or shell 
of the mature female insect is present on infested rees during the 
whole year, thus enabling fruit growers to tell at any time wheth- 
er the pest is in their orchards or not. The illustration on the 
front of this bulletin shows many of these dead scales natural size 
as they appear on the branches. ‘They are very conspicuous ob- 
jects, as the figure shows, and may be easily found and recogniz- . 
‘ed wherever they occur. They remind one of small halved peas 
colored dark brown and stuck on the branches. Beneath these 
dead scales the bark presents a white scar of the exact shape of 
the outline of the scale; these spots remain white for a long time 
after the scale is removed. . 

In April and May the living female insects resemble the dead 
scales shown in the figure on the title page, but they are soft to 
the touch and often striped with yellow. In June, after egg-lay- 
ing has ceased, they become firm, smoother, lose their yellow 
markings, and are then simply a dark brown shell. If this shell 
be then turned over, it will be found full of the minute white 
eggs of the pest. After July 15, the dead scales contain noth- 
ing but a white dust consisting of the empty eggshells. Although 
these brown shell-like remains of the mother insect persist on the 
branches throughout the season, or even for a year or more, they 
are no longer a menace to the tree. They occur most numerously 
on the undersides of the branches of the preceding one or two 
year’s growth. 

Should a fruit grower find these large dead brown scales one 
half as thick on his plum trees as they are shown in the figure, he 
may be quite sure that there is also an alarming crop of the 
young scales now in hibernation in similar localities on the trees. 


A PLUM SCALE. 683 


When the large shells are found, closely examine the bark in their 
vicinity for minute, very flat, spindle-shaped, dark brown scales. 
Many of these are shown, natural size, on the plum branch 
in figure 1; when these young scales occur as numerously 
as shown in this figure, they are easily seen in the winter. 
It is this stage of the insect that now portends danger to 
some of the best orchards in the state. They are to be found 
snugly tucked 
away into almost 
every crevice on 
the trees from 
the trunk near 
the ground to 
the topmost twig. 
How they got 
there, and what 
they will do in 
the spring (they 
are now doing no 
harm) is discus- 
sed further on 
under the life 
history of the 
pest. The male 
insect is also dis- 
cussed under the 
same heading. 


Fic. 1.—Plum branch containing many young scales in 
hibernation near the large mother-shells ; and plum 
leaves with many of the young scales along the veins, 
as they appear in summer. All natural size, 


ITS NAME. 


This plum scale is allied to the well-known Mealy Bugson green 
house plants, to the Oyster-shell Bark-louse so common on some 
unhealthy apple trees here in the east, and to the very destructive 
San José Scale recently introduced into our state. However, the 
pest belongs to a different group of the scale insects known as the 
Lecaniums ; several species of Lecaniums are serious pests in 
Californiaorchards. As thisdifficult group has received compara- 


684 BULLETIN 83. 


tively little attention from systematic workers in etomology, it is 
not easy to definitely decide whether a Lecanium found on a cer- 
tain plant is new to science or is a species which received a name 
years before. This plum scale has been in the hands of experts 
for several months, but different opinions still prevail as to what 
it shall be called. Itis probably some European species described 
a half century or more ago. * 


THE DISTRIBUTION, DESTRUCTIVENESS, AND PAST 
HISTORY OF THE ANSEHCT. 


The present uncertainty regarding the name of this Plum Scale 
makes it impossible to draw any definite conclusions about its 
history, distribution, or destructiveness previous to 1894. How- 
ever, we believé it is an Huropean insect which has been present 
in eastern plum orchards for many years. A careful examination 
of several orchards which were apparently free from the insect, 
‘revealed the scales scattered here and there on the trees, some- 
times not more than one or two on atree. Certain conditions, 
perhaps climatic or possibly the presence of many active enemies, 
seem to have thus far held the insect in check in a majority of 
orchards. While in other localities, especially in the counties of 
Niagara, Monroe, and Ontario in our state, certain unknown con- 
ditions have favored the increase of the pest during the past three 


* Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, who has given considerable study to this group 
of scales, concludes that the pest is the Butternut or Walnut Scale (Lecanium 
tuglandts Bouché) with which Dr. Fitch’s ZL. juglandifex is synonymous 
(‘‘ The Entomologist '’ for December, 1894), There is a Lecanium, which is 
quite common on butternut in our state, that is very closely allied to if not 
indentical with, this Plum Scale; but no butternut trees occur near some of 
the worst infested plum orchards. The pest may be identical with Dr. 
Fitch’s L cerasifex described in 1856, but this scale has not been again rec- 
ognized since it was described, so the identity of the two scales could not be 
definitely established. Mr. L. O. Howard, U. S. Entomologist, writes us, 
under date of December 17, 1894, that ‘‘ the most careful studies I have made 
have failed to lead me to any definite conclusion, beyond the fact that I feel 
sure the species is not Fitch’s juglandifex. I simply drop the whole subject ~ 
for the present, pending the receipt of specimens of the European species 
from Mr. Douglas.’”? Perhaps this western New York Plum Scale has not 
yet been christened, who shall say ? 


=o Bi. 


ae — * 


A PLUM SCALE. 685 


or four years, until it has now reached a point where it :threatens 
the destruction of some of the finest orchards in these counties. 

We have found but a single reference to a Lecanium attacking 
plum trees in the east prior to 1894. In 1866, a correspondent in 
Vermont sent a plum branch containing many of the scales to Mr. 
Walsh, then editor of the ‘‘ Practical Entomologist ’’ (p. 89 and 
100), for identification. Mr. Walsh’s notes on the eggs agree so 
closely with our observations on the Plum Scale this season as to 
indicate that the Vermont scale was the same insect. Recently, 
Miss Murtfeldt (Bull. 32, Div. of Ent. of the U. S. Dept. of Agr., 
p- 41-44) has recorded the appearance in destructive numbers in 
1893 of a Lecanium on plum and peach in Missouri. This Mis- 
sourit Plum Scale seems to differ slightly in some of its character- 
istics and in its life history from our New York Scale, but may 
not the difference of 5 degrees in latitude between the two locali- 
ties account for these differences between the insects? Mr. 
Fletcher recently found a Lecanium, probably identical with our 
New York species, on plum at Queenstown, Canada.* Thus, 
while we believe that this new plum pest occurs in many orchards 
outside our state, no definite conclusions can be drawn from the 
meagre and indefinite evidence thus far reported. 

We have also received the insect from Utica and from Pratts- 
burg (Steuben Co.) N. Y., but it has not yet become serious in 
these localities. The only localities, so far as we know, where the 
pest is now present in alarming numbers is in several of the large 
orchards near Geneva, Rochester, and Lockport. Nearly all of 
the owners of these orchards are thoroughly alive to the necessity 
of checking this pest at once, and the work of extermination has 
already begun in some of the orchards. 

How long the insect has been present in these localities, is not 
known. It was seen in considerable numbers in Geneva orchards 


*Mr. Cockerell will describe this scale as L. rugoswm in the coming Feb- 
rurary number of the ‘‘ Canadian Entomologist.’’ He says it agrees closely 
with the New York Scale in microscopic characters, but differs slightly in 
form. The form of these scales depends so much upon the time when they 
are collected and killed, whether they are crowded together on the branch 
or not, and other factors that the mere form of the dead females or their 
shells does not furnish a sure criterion by which to determine the names of 
many of the Lecaniums. 


686 BULLETIN 83. 


four or five years ago. We saw it at Lockport in 1893, but as no 
such scale had before ravaged fruit treesin the east, we did not antici- 
pate any such injuryas the pest wrought in this orchard this year. 

The destruction wrought by this scale the past summer has been 
considerablein most of the orchards mentioned above. One fourth 
of Mr. Hooker’s crop from over 2000 trees was so badly damaged 
that it was not picked at all, while the remainder was more or 
less dwarfed or presented a smutty appearance. Much of the fruit 
in these orchards either had to be washed or sent to the market 
in a ‘‘mussy’’ condition. Many bushels of plums were also 
‘‘under-size.’’ Thousands of trees made but little growth during 
the season, and from present indications it would seem as though 
some of these orchards must succumb in the near future unless 
this insidious foe is soon checked. 


INDICATIONS OF ITS PRESENCE. 


One form of thé insect itself is so conspicuous, as shown in the 
figure on the title page, that it may be discovered before it has 
made its presence felt by any visible effect on any part of the tree. 
This year, in the worst infested orchards, the trees showed 
scarcely any visible signs of the presence of the pest until July. 
During this month the young scales hatched and went onto the 
leaves and fruit stems where they at once began sucking the sap. 
So many thousands of these little pumps at work drawing out the 
sap soon began to tell on the vigor and health of the trees. In 
consequence, many of the leaves curled considerably, and the 
trees made but little growth. 

But the most noticeable indications of the presence of the pest 
was caused by the immense quantities of a clear, sweet, sticky 
liquid known as ‘‘honey dew”’ which the little scales secreted in 
July and August. <A black fungus always accompanies this 
honey dew, growing in and spreading all through it; and as the 
sticky fluid was secreted in such quantities as to literally cover 
the whole tree, the consequence was that badly infested trees pre- 
sented a disgusting black appearance, as if treated with a thin 
coat of a sticky smutty substance. This blackened honey dew 
covered the leaves, doubtless closing up many of their breathing 


A PLuM SCALE. 687 


) 


pores, and gave to the fruit a smutty or ‘‘ mussy’’ appearance. 
The loss of so much sap also dwarfed much of the fruit. Thus a 
badly infested orchard presents a sorry sight in August, with its 
stunted growth, curled leaves, and dwarfed fruit, while the whole 
tree has a disgusting smutty appearance. During the winter these 
conspicuous blackened trees are unwelcome monuments of the 
work of the pest during the summer. 

Those who have seen the effects of the Pear Psylla on pear trees 
will at once recognize a plum tree which has suffered from this 
Plum Scale. Trees attacked by either insect present the same 
black unhealthy appearance, but the Pear Psylla does not attack 
the plum, nor does this Plum Scale seem to have yet appeared in 
destructive numbers on the pear. 


ITS FOOD-PLANTS. 


This scaleis as yet far excellence a plum pest ; and we have not 
seen it on plum trees less than five years old. However, many 
quince trees near infested plum orchards suffered severely last 
summer from what appears to be the same insect ; and we have 
just received an apple branch from Lewiston, N. Y., which bears 
several similar scales with other indications that the tree has suf- 
fered considerably from the insect. It was doubtless the same 
insect which we saw on a pear branch that projected into an in- 
fested plum tree. An elm branch on which were seen many 
scales doubtless became infested from a plum tree near by. Mr. 
Hooker reports a similar scale on his honey locust hedge. And 
Mr. Beach says (‘‘ Garden and Forest,’’ July 18, 1894, p. 284) the 
insect has been found on apple, pear, maple, and Cissus. In one 
orchard, apple and cherry trees in rows alongside infested plum 
trees have but very few of the scales, while quinces near by are 
freely attacked. Thus the pest apparently thrives on quince, and 
may attack apple, pear, cherry, elm, maple, honey locust, and 
Cissus. 

We doubt if the pest has any preferences among the cultivated 
varieties of plums. In one orchard, Smith’s Orleans suffered the 
most, while in another Copper, Bradshaw, and Lombard were the 
worst infested. The scales are also now present in one orchard 


688 BULLETIN 83. 


in alarming numbers on Damsons, Reine Claude de Bavay, 
Quackenbos, and on Prunes. The Japanese varieties have not 
yet been attacked, so far as we have learned. ; 


THH LIFE HISTORY OF THE INSECEE 


Its first appearance and habits in the spring.—As previously 
stated, the old shells of the female insects are to be found on the 
trees at any time of the year, but as they no longer play any part 
in the economy of the insect, they need not be considered in this 
connection. It is only the small, flat, spindle-shaped, brown 
scales that need attention early in the spring; these are shown 
natural size on the branch in figure 1, and also on the portion of 
board shown in figure 4, where they. are scattered among the large 
spiny skins of a Lady-bird larva. About April 1, or even earlier, 
these little scales begin to move about on the tree; they are seek- 
ing asuitable place to establish themselves. This they usually ~ 
do on the undersides of the smaller branches. Once established, 
most of them probably never move from the spot. Each scale in- 
serts its little beak or sucking organ into the bark, and for nearly 
two months each of these minute pumps is kept constantly at 
work drawing out the sap. 

Remarkable growth of the scales in the spring.—As these little 
scales have had their appetites whetted by over five months of 
fasting, their little pumps seem to work with surprising vigor in 
the spring. The result is that they increase in size remarkably 
fast. In less than two months last spring, most of the little 
scales, only 1 mm. (.04 of an inch) in length, grew to the size of 
the scales shown on the front of this bulletin. Doubtless the 
scales secrete considerable quantities of honey dew during this 
period of rapid growth. 

Many of these little scales, however, do not grow into these 
large conspicuous females. But after feeding for a short time, 
their skin is cast off and it formsa thin, delicate, semi-transparent, 
whitish, ribbed scale or shell over the pupae; beneath this cast 
skin the male insect develops. The males are very delicate in 
structure, and each is provided with two large whitish wings. At 


A PLUM SCALE. 689 


m in figure 2 are shown several of these male scales considerably 
enlarged; from the lower end of the two upper scales the tips of 
the wings of the male insect protrude, and in one instance the 
two long white filaments which project from the end of the insect’s 
abdomen can be distinctly seen extending considerably beyond the 
wings. At z in the figure, a male scale and 
a female scaie areshown natural size, theone 
on the right being the male. The male scale 
is thus much smaller, flatter, more elongate, 
and is of awhitish color. They often occur in 
considerable numbers among the large brown 
female scales in May and June. They are rare- 
ly seen after June, as they do not adhere 
strongly and thus soon ‘‘ weather off.’’ The 
males doubtless emerge in May, but proba- 
Diyetive only long enough to mate with the. gi6-m, mate scales, 


then mature females. In their early stages, enlarged ; n, male 
Tek . scale and female 
the male scales are scarcely distinguishable soa lesiarird iste 


from the young females. 

The eggs.—This year, by the 18th of May many of the female 
scales had become full grown. And by tipping them over at this 
time, it was found that egg-laying had just begun. ‘The female 
lays her eggs under her own body. During the process, her outer 
skin hardens and her body gradually shrivels thus making room 
underneath for the eggs. Egg- 
laying continues for a week or ten 
days, and, what was at the begin- 
ning a large fleshy soft-bodied 
female, becomes, when the task is 
finished, only a thin hard shell 
closely adhering tothe branch and 
containing a mass of embryonic 
life in the form of minute white 
eggs. If one of these shells be 
disturbed in June, it will be 
| found packed nearly full of eggs, 
which roll out when the shell is tipped as represented in figure 3. 
In this figure the scale is shown considerably enlarged, but at z 
in figure 2, is another view of the same scale natural size. 


FIG. 3—e, eggs as they roll out from beneath a 
mother-shell in June ; enlarged. 


690 BULLETIN 83. 


This year the egg stage lasted about a month, the eggs béecom- 
ing pinkish in color about a week before they hatched. Some of 
the minute active scales emerged as early as June 23, but most of 
them appeared about Julyr. The little creatures remained under the 
protecting shell for several hours, some of them a day or more, 
before venturing forth onto the branches. Thus if one-of these 
mother scales is overturned in the latter part of June, it may con- 
tain hundreds of the active little creatures and as many more eggs 
yet unhatched. 

The number of eggs laid by a single mother is enormous, reach- 
ing into the thousands. We have not counted them under one of 
these Plum Scales, but others have counted 1054 and 2200 under 
similar scales of other species of Lecaniums. 

The young at last venture forth from under the: shell, and 
about July 1 may be seen actively crawling about on all parts of 
the tree. The old mother shells which they have left contain 
nothing but a whitish powder made up of minute egg-shells. 

Flabits of the young scales tn summer.—Soon after emerging 
from the old shell of their mother, the little scales find their way: 
onto the leaves. Here they usually establish themselves close 
beside the veins on the underside, some take up similar positions 
on the upperside, while others attach themselves without regard 
to the veins. In figure r is shown the young scales, natural size, 
thus attached to the leaves. Although there are many more 
scales on the leaf at the right, they are so nearly the color of the 
underside of the leaf that they do not show as distinctly as those 
on the leaf at the left. Practically all of the newly-hatched scales 
thus established themselves on the leaves, or leaf and fruit 
petioles, in July. ‘The scales are then so small, scarcely .5 mm. 
(.o2 of an inch) in length, so flat and closely pressed to the leaf, 
and so near the color of the undersides of the leaves that they 
can hardly be distinguished’ without a lens. In séme of the 
worst infested orchards, nearly every leaf bore hundreds of these 
little scales. With so many millions of little pumps at work on 
a single tree sucking the sap, is it any wonder that many trees 
made but little growth and that much of the fruit was dwarfed ? 

Through the kindness of Mr. C. M. Hooker, who sent us 
infested leaves from time to time during the summer, we were 


A PLUM SCALE, 691 


able to follow the life-history of the pest closely. The little 
scales moved about but little, if any, during the summer; and 
also grew exceedingly slow as compared with the surprisingly 
rapid growth of their mothers in the spring. In a month the 
little creatures had gained scarcely .1 mm. (.004 of an inch) in 
length, and yet they had already caused many of the leaves to 
curl, the fruit began to show their effects, and the trees presented 
a smutty disgusting appearance. The amount of honey dew 
secreted by each individual scale was doubtless very small during 
the two months (July and August) that they worked on the 
leaves. But the aggregate from millions of the little scales was 
sufficient to completely coat the trees, including their leaves and 
fruit. The pest did more damage this year while in this young 
stage on the leaves than at any other period of its life. 

Fall migration.—August 21, Mr. Hooker wrote us that some of 
the scales ‘‘ were on the march.’’ It was found that they were 
moving to the undersides of the branches where there were still 
many of the old shells of their mothers from which the little 
scales had emerged more than two months before. This migra- 
tion continued until most of the leaves had fallen; probably a 
majority of the scales had established themselves on the branches 
by October 1. Most of them sought the undersides of the smaller 
branches, and in many instances they were to be found in these 
places in such numbers as to form two or three layers of scales on 
the bark. Thousands of them, however, crawled into any shelter- 
ing crevice on large or small limbs or even on the trunk of the 
tree. Figure 4 shows how thickly they congregated on the under- 
side of a small piece of board placed undera rope to protect the 
bark ; the large spiny objects on the board are the pupae of a 
Lady-bird beetle,one of the enemies of this scale described farther 
on. 

In August,the scales became light brown in color,and this deep- 
ened intoa dark seal brown when the migration began. 

Some of the scales did not migrate to the branches this fall. 
From material sent us by Mr. Hooker, we estimate that about 10 
per cent. of them fell to the ground with the leaves. Many of 
these will doubtless find their way to the trees again in the spring. 

Fitbernation.—When the scales migrated from the leaves to the 


692 BULLETIN 83. 


branches, they measured about 1 mm. (.04 of an inch) in length, 
or were only about twice as large as when they hatched and went 
onto the leaves in July. These small dark brown scales are at 
present on the trees in the position to which they migrated in 
September. They will doubtless pass the winter in this stage, 
without feeding. Many of these hibernating scales are shown in 
figure 1 ; they lie scattered about on the plum branch among a 
few old mother shells. 

It is to these hibernating scales that we referred when we stated 
on a preceding page that there are at the present moment more. 
than 50,000 of the best plum trees in western New York, each of 
which is harboring millions upon millions of this Plum Scale. 
Fortunately, these hibernating “scales are tender creatures, and 
most of them lie exposed on the bark of the trees. Thus this 
stage is the weakest point in their life history, and fruit growers 
must take advantage of itthis winter. For, as we have shown 
_ above, these little creatures grow with astonishing rapidity early 
in the spring and soon get beyond man’s power to check them by 
any practicable means. 

Number of broods.—There is but one brood in a year. ‘The 
little scales now in hibernation develop into full grown males and 
females in May. Eggs are soon laid, and this stage lasts nearly a 
month. About July 1, the young scales emerge and migrate to 
the leaves where they remain for two or three months, scarcely 
doubling in size meantime. In September these scales again mi- 
grate, going onto the branches where they hibernate. 


HOW THE INSECT SPREADS. 


As the pest is not very active in any of its stages, it doubtless. 
would spread very slowly if left toitself. At certain seasons,how- 
ever, especially when the young scales are migrating in July and 
September, many of them doubtless become attached to the feet of 
birds that may then visit the trees. The scales could be carried 
long distances in this way. } 

The young scales may also attach themselves to larger 
insects which frequent the trees. ast year, in Maryland, several 
Lady-bird beetles and ants were seen bearing one or more young 


A Pium SCALE. 693 


of the San Jos Scale on their backs; curiously enough, the scales 
seemed to prefer to ride on the backs of the shining black beetles 
and ants rather than on the red ones. 

Doubtless the wind is an important factor in the spread of this 
pest. Possibly a strong wind may detach some of the scales and 
carry them to other trees. The wind also distributes the fallen 
leaves over a considerable area in the fall; and as many of these 
leaves contain afew hibernating scales, they would form a fruitful 
source of contagion. We estimate that about Io per cent. of the 
scales are hibernating on these leaves, and many of them will 
doubtless find their way onto the nearest trees in the spring. 

Ts there danger of introducing tt on nursery stock ?—Some news- 
papers, in commenting on our recent popular discussion of this 
scale in the Ruval New Yorker and other papers, have warned 
their readers to carefully examine all nursery stock sent out by 
New York nurserymen lest the scale be introduced into their 
orchards in this manner. This isa very important point, and was 
made the subject of special investigation and inquiry in our recent 
trip through the infested region. The result is that, so far as we 
now know, there is but little danger of introducing the pest into 
new localities on nursery stock. Nurserymenrarely have the stock 
more than two years, and it is not usually grown near plum 
orchards. And furthermore, we have never seen or heard of the 
scale on any except bearing trees. We have not found it on trees 
which have been set less than five years in orchards. It is always 
a wise precaution, however, to examine thoroughly all nursery 
stock for scales or even borers. You need not expect to find this 
Plum Scale, but remember that the dreaded San José Scale is 
abroad in the east and may be introduced on nursery stock. Dig 
out the borers and dip the trees in a strong kerosene emulsion to 
kill the scales. 


ITS NATURAL ENEMIES. 


This Plum Scale doubtless has several insect enemies, but we 
have met with only two thus far. In May, there were many 
small, narrow, smooth, elevated, black scales scattered among the 
nearly full grown females. Some of these small black scales can 


694 BULLETIN 83. 


beseen on one of the branches in the figure on the title page. Aclose 


examination showed that these scales contained parasites; which 
we did notsucceed in breeding. The parasite is probably a minute 
four-winged hymenopterous fly which lays her eggs in the young 
scales, perhaps in the fall. The percentage of the scales thus 
destroyed this year was not great, but this little foe may become 
a valuable ally in checking this pest in the near future. 

In figure 4 is shown the 
spiny larval skins, many of 
them containing pupae, of 
the twice-stabbed Lady-bird 
beetle (Chzlocorus bivulne- 
rus) which is very common 
in some infested plum or- 
chards. We have seen hun- 
dreds of the spiny skins in 
groups about the trees, but 
have not observed the Lady- 
bird at work on the scales. 
One of the beetles is just 
emerging from oneofthe pu- 
pae in the figure. It isa 


as and shaped somewhat like 
one of the shells of the Plum 
Scale. Butitis of a shining 
Fic, 4.—Spiny larval skins of Lady- black color and has a bright 

bird Beetles H and many young plum red spot on each wing cover. 

scales in hibernation. Natural size. This Lady-bird is very com- 
mon throughout the country, and is said to be the most effective 
enemy of scale insects in Florida. Both the beetles and their 
spiny larvee feed upon the scales. Protect these little friends. 

There are doubtless other Lady-bird beetles that are predaceous 
on this plum scale, and perhaps other true parasites are at work 
upon it. But the balance of nature seems to have tipped decid- 
edly in favor of the scale at present in western New York, yet 
these little foes will materially aid in restoring the equilibrium in 
the future. 


small beetle, about as large — 


ae? et that AG; 
a ae je ry 

oo4 ee 

“ j ys 

1 


A PLUM SCALE. 695 
HOW TO COMBAT THE SCALE. 


What to use.—This pest obtains its food from the inner tissues 
of the tree by means of its sucking mouth-parts. Thus none of 
the poisonous insecticides used to kill biting insects would have 
any effect on this Plum Scale: It must be hit by some of the in- 
secticides that kill by contact. The one that is the simplest to 
make and which has been found the most effective here in the 
east against scale insects is the Kerosene Emulsion.* If the di- 
rections are carefully followed there is no trouble in getting a good 
emulsion. This standard emulsion should always be diluted be- 
fore it is applied to growing plants. But the number of times it 
is to be diluted, will depend upon the insect to be killed. The 
nymphs of the Pear Psylla, for instance, are readily killed by a 
spray consisting of 1 part of the emulsion to 20 parts of water. 
For most sucking insects it is diluted with 9 parts of water. But 
our experiments indicate that this Plum Scale does not readily 
succumb unless the emulsion as made by the formula is diluted 
with only about 4 parts of water. That is, to one gallon of the 
standard emulsion is to be added 4 gallons of water. A greater 
dilution than this cannot be depended upon to do sure work. 
There is not the slightest danger of this dilution of the emulsion 
causing any injury to the tree, even when the leaves are opening 
in the spring. Do not expect to killa majority of the scales if 
you dilute it with 7 or 8 or more parts of water. 

When to spray.— Between May and October, there is only 
one period, of less than a week, in which the insect can be 
combated effectively and practicably. Our experiments indicate 


*To make the emulsion, thoroughly dissolve one-half pound hard or soft 
soap or whale oil soap in one gallon boiling water. While this solution is 
still very hot add two gallons of kerosene and quickly begin to agitate the 
whole mass through a syringe or force-pump, drawing the liquid into the 
pump and forcing it back into the dish. Continue this for five minutes or 
until the whole mass assumes a creamy color and consistency which will ad- 
here to the sides of the vessel, and not glide off like oil. It may now be 
readily diluted with cold rain water, or the whole mass may be allowed to 
cool when it has a semi-solid form, not unlike loppered milk. This standard 
emulsion if covered and placed in a cool dark place will keep for a long time. 
In making a dilution from this cold emulsion, it is necessary to dissolve the 
amount required in three or four parts of boiling water, after which cold rain 
water may be added in the required quantities. 


696 BULLETIN 83. 


that in May the fast maturing females are not susceptible to the 
emulsion unless it is used so strong as to injure the foliage. The 
eggs are also safe under their mother’s shell during June. 

However, the newly-hatched scales which emerge about July 1, 
can be easily killed with the emulsion diluted even 6 or 8 times. 
But the application must be made while the scales are moving 
about on the branches; for if they once get established on the 
leaves, it will be impracticable to hit a majority of them. By 
tipping over some of the scales every day or two during the lat- 
ter part of June, one can tell with a lens when a majority of the 
scales have emerged. When they have done so, donot wait a 
moment, but completely drench the trees with the emulsion diluted 
6 or 8 times. We visited an orchard in July after the scales had 
become established on the leaves. Nearly every leaf bore hun- 
dreds of the little creatures, but it was evident that man was 
powerless so far as checking them with a spray was concerned. 
It would have been necessary to literally drench the undersides 
of every leaf, an impracticable task with a spray. Nothing but 
the expensive gas treatment with tents, so commonly used in 
California, would have been of any practicable use. ‘Thus, the 
pest cannot be effectively and practicably checked by sprays while 
it is on the leaves from July 1 until the leaves fall in October. 
Unless the expensive gas treatment can then be resorted to, fruit 
growers will be obliged to stand idly by in the summer and see 
the pest do its most damaging work. 

Fortunately, however, the scales grow but little during the 
summer, and then migrate to the branches where they go into 
hibernation in a tender stage. Therefore, after the leaves fall in 
autumn, afflicted fruit growers may begin the work of extermina- 
tion. The little tender scales are then exposed on the undersides 
of the branches and in crevices all over the tree. ‘There are then 
no leaves to bother, and every scale that is hit with the emulsion 
dituted 4 times, speedily dies. Do not expect to see the scales 
drop off immediately, or even for several days after spraying. It 
is difficult to tell a dead scale from alive one. If the branches 
are brought into a warm room and the scales examined closely 
with a lens after a few days, life can be detected in the uninjured 
scales. Dead scales are usually of a distinctly lighter brown 
color and are somewhat shriveled in appearance ; where large 


a 


A PLUM SCALE. | 697 


numbers of dead scales occur near each other, this difference in 
color is easily seen with the naked eye. Doubtless many of the 
dead scales will ‘‘weather’’ off by spring. 

Under our directions, millions of these scales were killed in 
some of the infested orchards in November. Other orchardists 
are now carrying on the work of destruction. Nearly all who 
suffered from the pest last summer realize the necessity of check- 
ing the insect before spring opens. The spray will be equally 
effective if applied at any time between November 1 and April 1, 
or when the trees are leafless. There is no question about the 
effectiveness of the emulsion diluted 4 times, but it must be re- 
membered that each scale must be #z¢ with it before it will be 
destroyed. 

flow to spray.—Thoroughness must ever be the watch-word in 
applying the emulsion. ‘The scales are very small objects and 
you must hit them with the emulsion. In making the applica- 
tion about July 1, the only direction needed is to thoroughly soak 
the trees with the emulsion. In combating the hibernating 
scales on the leafless trees, however, more care must be taken in 
directing the spray. Remember that most of the scales are on 
the undersides of the smaller branches, but there are thousands of 
them also in the crevices of the bark all over the tree from the base 
of the trunk to the topmosttwig. Thus in order to hit the scales, 
the spray must be directed from beneath the tree on all sides, and. 
every crevice filled with the liquid. Drench every square inch of 
the bark. Do not trust the work to some one who does not appre- 
ciate the necessity of hitting every scale, or the work will not be 
half done. : 

The McGowen and Vermorel nozzles will do the best work. 
The knapsack pumps are practicable if but a few trees are infest- 
ed. But in the large orchards in western New York that are now 
full of the scale, large tanks and strong pumps must be used. 
The horse power sprayers will not prove nearly so effective in 
fighting this pest as an ordinary hand pump and barrel or tank 
apparatus. You have got to stop at a tree, get under it, and stay 
at least a minute to do a thorough job. Remember where the 
scales are that you want to hit and do not leave the tree until they 
are hit. This idea of thoroughness cannot be too strongly im- 
pressed on the one who holds the nozzle when this pest is being 
fought. 


698 BULLETIN 83. 


Number of applications.—Not one fruit grower in ten will kill 
half of the scales with the first application of the emulsion. And 
yet it is only a question of taking the time to do the work thor- 
oughly enough. Fortunately, you have nearly six months in which 
to doa thorough job. If possible, get in one blow at the pest be- 
fore winter closes in. Then be ready to strike again whenever 
the weather is suitable during the winter. And get in another 
blow early inthe spring before April 1. In other words, spray 
with the emulsion diluted 4 times, at least once in the fall, once 
during the winter if possible, and once or twice in March; two 
very thorough sprayings, may suffice in some orchards. To own- 
- ers of badly infested orchards who failed to get in a blow this fall, 
we would say, do not let a suitable spell of weather pass this win- 
ter or in March without drenching your trees with the emulsion. 
We are not putting the case too strongly ; for if 25 per cent. of the 
scales, that are now to be found on 50,000 of the best plum trees 
in our state, are allowed to develop in May, 1895, these trees 
will be literally overrun with the pest before the year ends. 

The cost.—The Kerosene Emulsion is the most easily made and 
’ the cheapest of the insecticides used against sucking insects. The 
Lime, Salt and Sulphur Wash is not so effective, and the Resin 
Wash is more troublesome to make. Fruit growers who sprayed 
this fall, bought kerosene for 4% cents, per gallon, and soap for 
from 3% to 8 cents. per pound; thesoap isa small item in any 
case. 

One man made 125 gallons of the diluted emulsion (diluted 
four times) for $1.12, with soap at 8 cents per pound. With this 
125 gallons, 80 trees were sprayed in 4o minutes. Another man 
sprayed 8000 trees with the emulsion diluted only twice at a total 
cost for labor and material of less than $70. The work in the 
latter case was done with horse power sprayers, but not nearly 
so many scales were killed as in the former case where more 
than four times as much liquid was applied to each tree. 

The labor necessary to do thorough work will cost about as 
much as the materials used. So that, on an average we believe 
that one thorough application can be made to a tree Io or 15 
years old for a total cost of not over 3 cents. This may seem a 
large expenditure to a fruit grower with several thousand badly 
infested plum trees. But let him recall how much time and 


—— 


A PrLwuM SCALE. 699 


money have been put into those trees to bring them to their 
present condition, and also then realize that unless this pest is 
soon checked it means the ruin of his orchard in the near future. 
Every tree could be drenched with the emulsion a dozen times for 
less than one-eighth of the money that is realized from one good 
crop from the tree. No time should be lost in trying to devise 
some way of checking this pest with little expense. The insect 
is now present in full force and drastic measures are necessary. 
Every day’s delay in trying to save a penny, means dollars of 
loss next year if the pest gets the start of you in the spring. 

Briefly summarized, the way to combat this pest is to spray 
the infested trees several times, at least twice, this winter or 
before April 1 with kerosene emulsion diluted with four parts of 
water. Always bear in mind that each little scale must be hit 
with the liquid. Do not let the pest get started in force in April. 
If it does, you cannot fight it effectively until about July 1. 
Then the young are hatching and while they are wandering 
about on the branches for a few days, they can be successfully 
destroyed by the emulsion diluted even six or eight times. If 
these young scales get established on the leaves in July, they 
will be beyond your control with a spray until November. You 
will be helpless against their ravages during the summer months. — 
But the moment the leaves fall, begin the work of destruction on 
the tender hibernating scales then exposed on the bark. Thor- 
oughness must be the watchword, if this new and most serious 
enemy is to be checked. 

MARK VERNON SLINGERLAND. 


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Bulletin 81. December, 1894. 
Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station. 
: HORTICULTURAL. DIVISION. 


BLACK-KNOT 


OF 


Plums and Cherries,and Methods of Treatment. 


, A =, 
/ BLY SE 
WL OY LLAG 

eZ 6 3 Lif S 


Wei, Raza 


By E. G. LODEMAN. 


PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 
ITHACA, N. Y. 
1894. 


ORGANIZATION. 
BOARD OF CONTROL: 
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY. 


STATION COUNCIL. _ 
President, JACOB GOULD SCHURMAN, 


Hon. A. D. WHITE, - E 
Hon, JOHN B. DUTCHER, - - 


Trustee of the University, 
Rey Ee Agricultural Society, 


Professor I. P. ROBERTS, = - - Agriculture, 
Professor G. C. CALDWELL, - - - - - Chemistry, 
Professor JAMES Law, - - - - Veterinary Science, 
Professor A. N. PRENTISS, - - - - Botany , 
Professor J. H. CoMsTocK, - - - - - Entomology, 
Professor L. H. BAILEY, - - - - - Horticulture, 
Professor H. H. WING, - - ; Dairy Husbandry. 


Professor G. F. ATKINSON, - 
OFFICERS OF 


Cryptogamic Botany, 
THE STATION. 


I. P. ROBERTS, ~ - - - - Director, 
EK. L. WILLIAMS, - - - - - - Treasurer. 
H. W. SMITH, - - - - - - Clerk. 
ASSISTANTS. 
M. V. SLINGERLAND, - - - - Entomology. 
GxEo. C. WATSON, - - - - - Agriculture. 
G. W. CAVANAUGH, - - - - hemistry. 
EK. G. LODEMAN, - - - - Horticulture. 
MICHAEL BARKER, - - - - Horticulture. 


Office of the Director, 20 Morrill Hall. 
Those desiring this Bulletin sent to friends will please send us the names 
of the parties. 


BULLETINS OF 1894. 


62. The Japanese Plums in North America. 

63. Co-operative Test of Sugar Beets. 

64. On Certain Grass-Eating Insects. 

65. Tuberculosis in Relation to Animal Industry and Public Health. 

66. Test of Cream Separators. 

67. Some Recent Chinese Vegetables. 

68. The Cultivated Poplars. 

69. Hints on the Planting of Orchards. 

70. The Native Dwarf Cherries. 

71. Apricot Growing in Western New York. 

72. The Cultivation of Orchards. 

73. Leaf Curl and Plum Pockets. 

74. Impressions of the Peach Industry in Western New York. 

75. Peach Yellows. 

76. Some Grape Troubles of Western New York. 

77. The Grafting of Grapes. 

78. The Cabbage Root Maggot, with notes on the Onion Maggot and Allied 
Insects. 

79. Varieties and Leaf-Blight of the Strawberry. 

80. The Quince in Western New York. 

81. Biack-Knot of Plums and Cherries, and Methods of Treatment. 


CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, N. Y., December 15, 1894. 
THE HONORABLE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, ALBANY, 


Sir :—The foliowing account of the black-knot of plums and cherries is 
submitted for publication and distribution under section 87, chapter 675, of 
the laws of 1894. The subject is an important one to all fruit growers, and 
the present account contains the first experimental proof that the disease can 
be kept in check by spraying. The leading points established in this paper 
are these: The disease usually shows itself the year following inoculation, a 
fact which is proved by the absence of knots on the growth of the season ; 
the inoculation occurs mostly in crotches and at the junctures of the annual 
growths, owing to the greater frequency of chinks at these places, and to 
more tender bark, and to convenient places for lodgement of the spores ; if 
the branches are constantly covered with fungicide, the germinating spores 
are killed. Good Bordeaux mixture remains upon the branches a long time, 
and it appears to retain its efficacy from the fact that when applications 
ceased early in June the summer spores of the fungus, which no doubt ap- 
peared after this time, were apparently unable to seriously multiply the 
disease. Whilst the results with the spray are surprising, there is neverthe- 
less every reason for anticipating them, for it is evident that the infection 
takes place from spores falling upon the plant, and it is generally understood 
that germinating spores are killed by copper fungicides. Mr. Lodeman’s 
results with the black-knot are supplemented by similar results obtained by 
myself upon another fungus which enters the deep tissues, the red rust of 
the quince (see Bulletin 80). Ly.) HP BAIREY: 


BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE BLACK-KNOT. 


Peck. Mass. Agric. Repository, p. 307. 

Schweinitz. Synopsis Fungorum Caroline Superioris, No. 134, p. 40. 
Thatcher. The American Orchardist, 2d ed. p. 223. 

Buell. N.E. Farmer, Jan. 20. 

Schweinitz. Synopsis Fungorum Amer. Bor. Proc. Phil. Soc. III. 


. 269. 


Kenrick. New American Orchardist, p. 271. 

Manning. Book of Fruits, p. 33 

Burnett. Hovey’s Mag. of Hort. IX. p. 288. 

Burnett. N. E. Farmer, Aug. 16, p. 49. 

Ives. New England Fruit Book, 2d ed. p. 102. 

Jaques. Practical Treatise on the Managementof Fruit Trees, p. 229. 
Hodge. The Cultivator, p. 333. 

Harris. Insects Injurious to Vegetation, 2d ed. p. 69. 

Griffen. The Country Gentleman V. p. 106. 

Thomas. American Fruit Culturist, p. 320. 

Austin. American Agriculturist, p. 113. 

Glover. U. S. Agric. Report, p. 572. 

Walsh. Proc. Ent. Soc. Phila., III. p. 613. 

Riley. Gardener’s Monthly, Nov. p. 331. 

Hicks. Ibid. p. 335. 

Walsh. Practical Entomologist, I. p. 48. 

Walsh. Ibid, II. p. 63. 

The American Entomologist and Botanist, II. p. 23r. 

Peck. A Paper on Botany. Report to Albany Institute, Feb. 6 
Taylor. Monthly Microscopic Journal, VIII. p 118. 

Farlow. Bulletin Bussey Institution, Part V. p 440. 

M. B. B. The Country Gentleman, 44, p. 262. 

Saccardo. Sylloge Fungorum, III. p. 445. 

Crozier. Botanical Gazette, p. 368. 

Maynard. Mass. Hatch Agric. Exp. Sta., Bulletin 4. 

Scribner. Fungous Diseases of the Grape and Other Plants, p. 111. 
Butz. Rep. of Penn. State College, p. 166. 

Humphrey. Mass State Agric. Exp. Sta., Highth Annual Report, p- 


200. 
1891. Maynard. Mass. Hatch Agric. Exp. Sta., Bulletin 11 _ 
——. Halsted. N.J. Agric. Exp. Sta., Bulletin 78. 
1892. Beach. N. Y. State Agric. Exp. Sta., New Series. Bulletin 40, 
——. Humphrey. Mass. State. Agric. Exp. Sta., Rep. of Mycologist, p. 27. 
1893. Sturgis. Conn. Agric. Exp. Sta., Bulletin 115, p. 9. 


Lodeman. Garden and Forest, No 356, p. 508. 


“a SS a”) le ae 


Tit BLACK-KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHER: 
RIES, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. 


Distribution—Many of our stone fruits, both the wild and the cul- 
tivated forms, suffer from the attacks of a disease which is popularly 


-known as the black-knot. It is of American origin, and from the 


early records of its presence on cultivated trees, it appears to have 
been particularly abundant along the northern half of our Atlan- 
tic sea-board. This may be ascribed to the fact that this portion 
of the country was first most thickly settled and consequently 
such a trouble would there be first noted. In the early part of 
this century,.however, the disease had become more serious in 
most of the regions in which it was first mentioned, and the ruin- 
ous effects of its presence gradually became known in those sec- 
tions which appear to have been free from the trouble at the time 
the first settlements were made. It is not improbable that the 
disease was first restricted to the country east of the Alleghany 
mountains, although several of the plants upon which it is found 


are native in the regions to the west. It appears that no serious 


damage was done by the fungus in western orchards until the 
number of its cultivated host plants had become sufficiently great 
to allow of the rapid propagation and spread of the disease. In 
some cases its presence could be traced directly to an eastern 
source. 

In The Cultivator, for 1850, page 333, is the note that ‘‘ Benja- 
min Hodge, of Buffalo, N. Y., who has raised and sold trees for 
the past 30 years says he never had this malady among his plum 
trees till the present season, and that in the instance cited it was 
introduced from the east.’’ He further claimed that all the 
affected trees came from stocks brought from Massachusetts. In 
1879 the statement was made* that the knots were appearing 


* The Country Gentleman, vol. 44, p. 262. 


638 ] BULLETIN 81. 


about Cincinnati in regions which had previously been free from 
the disease. Other cases of a similar nature might be mentioned, 
and although the disease may have’been native to a large area, it 
appears to have attracted attention only after the cultivated plants 
upon which it thrives had been generally grown, and the condi- 
tions for its rapid dissemination had become favorable. At 
present the disease is confined to North America, no case of its 
occurrence in Europe or foreign countries having been reported. 
It is found throughout the United States, but is rare in the ex- 
treme south. | 
Description.—The superficial characters of the parts attacked 
by this disease are familiar to nearly every one who is in any de- 
gree interested in the extermination of the pest. The term ‘‘ black 
knot’’ is very expressive, for the affected parts swell and present 
the form of more or less elongated knots which turn a deep black 
during the fall and winter. According to Humphrey* the newly 
‘forming knot can often be seen in the fall. It then appears ‘‘as 
a slight swelling of the branch, arising near an old knot, or inde- 
pendently.” It is generally in the spring, however, that the 
knots can first be plainly seen. Affected portions commence to 
swell as soon as the active flow of sap begins, and as the swelling 
increases the bark is ruptured and a granular growth soon fills the 
crevices. ‘This newly formed substance is light yellowish brown 
in color, and a tinge of green can sometimes beseen. ‘The brown 
shade deepens as the season advances. During the latter part of 
May and early in June the swellings have enlarged to such an ex- 
tent that they are frequently three to four times the diameter of 
the twigs upon which they are found. ‘The bark very soon dis- 
appears, and the knot is found to be composed of a mass ‘“‘in 
which all distinction between wood and bark has been lost. In 
the knot we find bast fibres, wood cells, and dotted ducts ; but 
the prevailing tissue consists of a collection of dotted, rectangular, 
parenchymatous cells, with very thick walls which closely resem- 
ble the walls of the medullary rays.’’| The knot also gradually 


*Kighth Annual Report of the Mass. State Agric. Exp. Station, p. 205. 
{ Farlow, Bull. of the Bussey Institution, Harvard University. Part .V. 
p- 446. 


BLACK-KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 639 


changes color; and eventually it is perfectly black and presents 
the appearance which is so commonly seen, Figs. 3 and 4. 

There is much variation in the size, shape, and location of the 
knots. Sometimes they do not grow to be more than a quarter 
of an inch in length, and then they do no particular damage. 
Such small knots are seldom seen, for their growth in spring is 
generally quite rapid and they frequently extend several inches 
along atwig. ‘The largest knot which has come to my notice was 
on Morello cherries and was nearly five inches in length, it being 
all one year’s growth. If the growth of other years is considered, 
the diseased portion will be considerably extended. It is a pecu- 
liar circumstance that the knots as a rule do not encircle a branch, 
but nearly all extend along the branch upon one side while the 
portion opposite remains healthy and permits the passage of the 
sap to the living portions beyond. Small twigs are frequently 
killed outright, for in them the disease soon cuts off all communica- 
tion between the parts above and those below the affected portion. 
Large limbs do not succumb so rapidly. The disease gradually 
extends from year to year and it may be a long time before the 
death of the parts beyond takes place, for such, with probably 
rare exceptions, is the result which eventually follows the ap- 
pearance of the trouble. 

The form of the knots varies considerably. Upon the smaller 
branches, those two or three years of age, they are generally 
straight, or nearly so. The swelling is often more marked at the 
center of the diseased portion, and gradually diminishes towards 
the ends; but the swelling may have nearly the same diameter 
throughout its length, and in such cases the knot terminates 
abruptly. If the twigs are but a year or two old the presence of 
the knot may cause considerable bending of the wood, so that fre- 
quently the knot turns at a sharp angle, or it may be inclined to 
the form of a spiral. Large branches which cannot be affected in 
this manner generally cause the formation of knots that are more 
or less oval in outline, the most protruding portion being near the 
center. When the knots are formed in the forks of two branches, 
as so frequently occurs, they extend along both branches beyond | 
the point of union, and also downwards. Such knots vary 
greatly in form. 


640 BULLETIN 81. 


The large majority of the knots found upon Morello cherries 
seem to form in the following places: in the crotches of younger 
limbs, at the union of the consecutive growths of two seasons, and 
upon small spurs which commonly bear the fruits. I have seen some 
the cases in which it appeared as if entrance had been gained in the 
axil of a leaf, or about the bud situated at its base. ‘The swell- 
ings frequently form inthe crotches of limbs that sometimes are 
four or five years old, but younger branches suffer to a very great 
extent. The knots which form at the union of the growth of 
different seasons may generally be found upon wood that 
is from one to three years of age. ‘The center of the swelling is, 
asarule, near the pointof union. (See also page646.) Ihave 
as yet failed to find in autumn or winter a well developed knot 
which was formed upon the growth made during the preceding 
spring and summer. They have invariably appeared upon older 
wood, and generally in the positions mentionedabove. (See Fig. 3 
‘page 645.) 7 

During May and June the newly formed knots are covered 
with a velvety growth, but this soon disappears. The 
knot then becomes dark and by winter has become perfectly 
black. It is then covered by innumerable, small elevations 
which project from its irregular granular surface. At this season 
the knotis generally hollowed out by insects which have devel- 
oped within, and so there is often not much more than a mere 
crust remaining. During the fall and early winter many of the 
knots become more or less coated with a substance which is yel- 
lowish white, and other colors may also be seen. This appear- 
ance is not a development of the knots, but is caused by a fungus 
which is parasitic upon them. 

Cause.—It is only in recent years that the true cause of the 
black knot has been demonstrated. Formerly the trouble was 
generally supposed to be due to the work of insects, and this 
opinion is still held by many, although scientists have shown 
plainly that insects are not responsible for such swellings. Other 
theories were also freely advanced, such as a diseased condition 
of the sap, abnormal condition of the plant’s ‘“ constitution,”’ 
the character of the soil in which the trees were growing, and 
some form of mechanical injury. But such ideas were not so 
commonly accepted. 


BLACK-KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 641 


Black knots are now known to be brought on by a fungus, 
Plowrightia morbosa. It was long suspected that such is the 
case, for the fungus was imperfectly described by Schweinitz 
as early as 1821.* But the first published statement that the 
black-knot is caused by a fungus appears to have been made by 
Dr. Joel Burnett, of Southboro, Mass., although no proof of the 
proposition was given.t It was based upon the fact that the 
curculio, which is a regular inhabitant of the knots, did not lay 
its egg in them until the latter had formed, and thus it could not 
be held as the cause of the first appearance of the swellings. It 
was not until 1876 that the relation between the knots and the fun- 
gus was clearly shown.{ Dr. W. G. Farlow then removed all 
doubt as to the cause of the disease, and although the entire life 
history of the fungus is not described, no further question can be 
raised as to the origin of the trouble. The following plants also 
seem to suffer from this disease: Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustt- 
folia), beach plum (P. maritima), native red or yellow plum (P. 
Americana), choke cherry (P. Virgintana), wild black cherry 
(P. serotina), wild red cherry (P. Pennsylvanica). 'The sweet 
cherries (P. Avizum) are said to suffer occasionally, but no authen- 
ticated case seems to be on record.§ 

The life history of the fungus as now understood is in brief as 
follows :|| ‘The first external appearance of the disease is an en- 
largement which may be visible in autumn but is most marked in 
early spring. This swelling is caused by the irritation of the fun- 
gus which has entered the cambium layer of the branch. This 
layeris theone from which the inner bark and the wood are formed, 
and the presence of the fungus causes an abnormal growth to take 
place (see page 638). The first crop of spores are matured in 
May and June, and it is these and the threads bearing them which 
give to the knots the velvet coating they possess at this time of 
the year. ‘The spores mature quickly and they are then scattered 


* Synopsis Fungorum Caroline superioris, No. 134. 

+ New England Farmer, August 16, 1843. 

{t Harvard University Bulletin, Bussey Institution, Part V., 1876, p. 440. 

21 once collected knots froma tree of Prunus Aviwm insouthern Delaware. 
The tree, which was of the mazzard or wilding type, was a foot or more in 
diameter of trunk, and the small limbs bore very numerous well developed 
knots.—L. H. BArLEy. 

|| A list of the most important papers relating to the black knot disease 
may be found on page 636. 


642 BULLETIN 81. 


by various natural agencies. The knot then assumes a darker 
color and presents its characteristic hard, almost metallic ap- 
pearanice. 

Another crop of spores is still to be borne before the knot has 
finished its work. ‘These spores are formed in the small pimple- 
shaped elevations which appear on the surface of the knots in au- 
tumn and winter. They mature during midwinter or early spring, 
the time appearing to vary in different localities. As soon as they 
have ripened they leave the minute elevations in which they were 
formed, and are scattered to propagate the parasite in some other 
spot. The central portion of the knot has then finished its round 
of existence, but the outer portions continue to grow and form new 
knots above and below the old one. In this manner a single knot 
may in time extend a long distance on a branch. 

Many points regarding the development of the black knot fun- 
gus are still imperfectly known. ‘Two of the more important of 
these are the time and the manner in which the spores ater in 
gaining an entrance into the host plant. 

At present it can only be assumed that the spores germinate and 
penetrate the tissues soon after becoming ripe. The principal 
periods of infection would then be early spring, as soon as vege- 
tation begins, or even earlier ; the other period would be from 
the middle of May to the middle of July, the time varying with 
the character of the season and with the locality. This subject 
is of the greatest importance when considered in its relation to the 
most favorable times for making applications designed to prevent 
the entrance of the fungus into healthy tissues. 

From the fact that new knots show the first external indica- 
tions of their presence only to a very limited extent in the fall, while 
the great majority of them do not form until spring, it would seem 
that infection takes place one year, but the knot does not develop 
until the following season. The manner in which the spores that 
mature in winter invest healthy tissues is not clear. There may 
be some relation between them and the formation of knots upon 
older wood, but the production of the spores in summer prevents 
the making of any definite statements which are not based upon 
careful artificial inoculations. As:already stated, a great many 
knots are found in the forks of young branches, Fig. 3, 1, and at 


i 


BLACK-KNoT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 643 


the places in which one year’s growth stopped and that of the fol- 
lowing year began, Fig. 3, 2. A careful examintion of the forks 
of the small limbs shows that the union of the two parts is not so 
close as at first appears. The cellular structure of these parts, as 
revealed by the microscope, is seen to be such that the spore of a 
fungus would apparently have less difficulty in gaining an entrance 
here thanin almost any other place. Figure 1, A, represents a sec- 
tion made atthe union of twotwigs. The different parts of the limb 
are here shown so that their relative positions may be understood. 
The outer layer cz is composed of cork cells. These are penetrated 
with difficulty by the threads from a germinating spore, and it may 
be that entrance is entirely prevented by them. ‘The layer lying 
under the one composed of cork cells is the cortex, c 0. This 
layer as a rule contains no cells which are lignified, or woody, but 
is composed of cells which are easily penetrated by the mycelium 
of many fungi. Underneath the cortex is a layer known as the 


i! 


j i Wil 
nb 


‘tl 
1.—Cyrotch of branches where knots often form. 
phloem. The phloem comprises the hard and the soft bast cells, 
only the former being woody. Thesoft bast cells can also be pene- 
trated by the threads of the mycelium and offer no obstacle to the 
passage of such parasites. In this manner a fungus can penetrate 
without much difficulty to the cambium layer, ca, represented 
only by a dark line, when once the layer of cork cells has been 
passed; for the woody or lignified cells are arranged in isolated 
bundles so that they do not interfere with the inward growth of the 
threads of the mycelium, or vegetative portion of the fungus. 
Diagram B of Fig. 1 represents only the layer of cork, more high- 


64 4 BULLETIN 81 


ly magnified, as found in the crotch of two smalllimbs. It will be 
noticed how deep is the crevice which extends downward from 
the point at which the two parts are apparently united. Another 
interesting feature of the diagram is the variable thickness of the 
layer. Where fully exposed to the air it is comparatively thick, 
but within the crevice it is much thinner, especially so in a few 
places. Diagram C shows the layer magnified still more, a sec- 
tion having been taken at the point cin B. ‘The center cells are 
flattened to such an extent that they cannot be plainly seen. 

Figure 2 represents a highly magnified termination of another 
crotch taken from a Mo- 
rello cherry tree the wood 
being two and three years 
old. The point 4 in this 
diagram corresponds 
with 6 in diagram B of 
Fig. 1; dt4$ themiewes 
extremity of the cork 
layer. Butthisforkshows 
a fissure which prolongs 
the crevice naturally 
made. The layer of cork 
cells has been separated, 
and an opening made in- 
Ps to the cortex lying un- 

aes By P a derneath. “Dewees 
2.—Lodgement for spores in a crotch. surrounding the fissure 
were tested for corky tissue and also for lignin, or woody fibre. 
These two substances were found not to be present. The threads 
of mycelium would therefore have little trouble in gaining an 
entrance. The fissureseen below 6 was not a new one, for the cell 
walls surrounding it were darkened as by exposure to air, and it 
is probable that they exist quite commonly in the forks of Morello 
cherry twigs. 

The manner in which the black-knot fungus gains an entrance 
into the forks of the smaller branches may thus be made fairly clear. 
A spore lodges in the crevice between the two branches; the 
action of the wind and the weight of the branches, especially 
when wet and bearing foliage, open the crevice more or less and 


BLACK KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 645 


j—Forms of 
Black-Knot 
I, knots in 
the forks of 
branches ; 
Simar the 
untonof 
Ve ar lx 
growths, 
3, On Spur; 
Z. on largé 
wood, eén- 
EMINGD. LENE. 
gained 
through a 
Spur. 


the spore finds : 
still deeper lodge- % 
ment. It germi- 
nates and sends threads 
downward, the layer of 
cork is passed and the 
entrance into the host plant is 
effected. It may also be true 
that spores succeed in entering 
growing shoots during the summer 
atthe bases of the leaves and through 
the crevices about the buds. Knots 
frequently appear in places not 
mentioned on page 640,and this may 
be the point where their formation 
begins. | 


646 BULLETIN 81. 


Number 2 in Fig. 3 shows two knots, each at the end of the 
growth of a season. ‘The small lines running across the twig at 
the point of union of the parts formed in different 
seasons represent elevations and depressions in the 
surface. These would also afford protection and 
moisture to any spores which might lodge there. 
A microscopic examination shows also some 
very thin layers of bark, and it seems probable 
that an entrancecould beaffected here with- 
out much difficulty, provided atmospheric 
conditions are favorable. 

Number 3 of the same illustration 
represents what may be considered 
as an explanation of the appearance 
of knots upon older branches (Fig. 
4), or even upon the trunks of the 
trees. “There can still) be’ seemetiie 
remnants of small spurs which were 
probably first attacked. From these 
spurs the fungus entered the cam- 
bium layers of the larger portion, 
and thus the knot formed, and the 
part appears to have been directly 
attacked, although entrance in real- 
ity was gained through the spur, 
as is shown in No. 4 of the same 
figure. 

These examples and many others 
of a similar character indicate that 
it is only comparatively young 
wood that is affected, the covering 
of the larger branches being so thick 
that it can withstand the attacks 
of the disease. 

Remedies.—Although the black- 
knot fungus has been troublesome 
almost from the time that the stone fruits which it attacks 
have been grown in this country, no remedy has yet been found 


4.—Knot upon a large branch. 


Ta 
‘ 


+ 


BLACK: KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 647 


to be of value. The earlier literature upon the subject contains 
considerable advice regarding the treatment of the disease, but as 
its nature was not understood such remedies were founded mostly 
upon an unreliable basis. For example, it was recommended to 
dig about the base of the trees in the fall, and to keep chickens ; 
the use of two or more quarts of salt per tree was considered of 
value ; pulverized blacksmith’s cinders scattered about the base 
of the trees prevented the disease; iron filings or scraps of old 
iron answered the same purpose; much importance was also at- 
tached to the nature and drainage of the soil in which the trees 
were growing. This list by no means includes all the sugges- 
tions made. 

The preventive measure of cutting out the knots as fast as they 
appeared was strongly recommended from the earliest time, and 
this is still one of our best methods, if not the best, of checking 
the spread of this pest. The best time to do the work is in early 
spring when the new knots can be seen. ‘This prevents the pro- 
duction of both crops of spores and will undoubtedly soon rid a 
neighborhood of the disease if the work is properly done. The 
next best time is in the fall, before the second crop of spores have 
matured. If the work is postponed until after these spores have 
been distributed the value of the operation will be almost entirely 
lost. From two to three inches of apparently sound wood should 
be cut away below the knot in order that no part of the fungus 
will remain in the portion left upon the tree. It has been gen- 
erally advised to cover the cut surfaces with some material to pre- 
vent further infection at this point. Shellac, paint, and a solu- 
tion of copper sulphate have been recommended for the purpose, 
but the value of the practice has not yet been determined and the 
labor of covering such surfaces may be very great. When the 
knots have been removed they should be buried or burned, so that 
no spores may mature after the operation, as sometimes occurs 
when the knots are left lying upon the ground. One individual 
cannot exterminate the fungus ina locality, and if no laws exist de- 
manding the destruction of the knots, public sentiment should be 
brought to the point of making such demands. Laws framed for 
the purpose of controlling the black knot now exist in Michigan, 


648 BULLETIN 81. 


New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.* California possesses laws 
aimed to keep all contagious plant diseases out of the state by 
means of the inspection of all imported stock ; Ontario and Bri- 
tish Columbia also possess laws designed for the better prevention 
of certain diseases of plants. If existing laws were enforced the 
extent of injury from the black knot fungus would be very greatly 
diminished. Unfortunately the above measures have not in all 
cases been-as effectual as was hoped, and individual efforts are 
still required to free a locality from the pest. 

The black-knot fungus may be destroyed while upon the tree, 
but the operation is tedious. The knots are painted with some 
liquid which will penetrate their interior, or form a coating over 
them which excludes the air. As early as 1855 spirits of turpen- 
tinet was used for this purpose. Kerosene was used in the same 
manner ten or fifteen years later, and linseed oil has been tried 
with apparent success. Kerosene and turpentine must be used 
with caution, for if a heavy application is made the branch be- 
yond the diseased point will be destroyed and I have seen young 
plum trees killed outright by a too free use of kerosene. Linseed 
oil can be used with safety. It is advisable to use some coloring 
matter, as the red oxide of iron or white lead, toshow what parts 
have been well covered. But the best way of disposing of the 
knots is to cut them out and burn them. 

Since the discovery of the fungicidal properties of some of the 
copper compounds the remedies which are effective in controlling 
other fungous diseases have, to a limited extent, been recom- 
mended for the prevention of black knot. Very few, however, 
seem to have tried the experiment. The only recorded case which 
I have found is that of Maynard.{ Certain plum trees were 
sprayed April 19 with a solution made by dissolving one pound 
of copper sulphate in twenty-two gallons of water. May 1g the 
application was repeated, but Paris green was added at the rate of 
one pound to five hundred gallons of the solution. This injured 
the foliage severely, so the Bordeaux mixture was used for later 
treatments which were made May 21 and 29, June 7 and 17, July 


- *A copy of the New York law may be found on page 392, Bulletin 75 of 
this station. 

| The Country Gentleman, 1855, p. 106. 

{ Mass. Hatch Agric. Exp, Sta. Bull. 11, Jan. 1891, p. 19, 


BLACK KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 649 


1g and 29. The conclusion reached was that ‘‘the number of 
warts was very decidedly less where treated with the copper mix- 
ture, than where untreated * * * and we believe that the 
plum wart may be held in check by this remedy.”’ 

In the spring of 1893 some experiments were begun with the 
intention of carrying on the work at least two seasons. A thicket 
of Morello cherry trees and sprouts was chosen for one field of 
operations. The plants were well covered with knots at the time, 
and these were all allowed to remain until the following year. 
The piece was divided into two nearly equal parts by cutting out 
the brush across a convenient portion of the strip. One part was 
treated and the other was not. The only fungicide used was the 
Bordeaux mixture. This was applied in 1893 upon the following 
days: March 29, April 18, May 6 and 30, and June 13. The 
trees were as well covered as could be done, but some of the parts 
were difficult of access. 

The work was continued in 1894, and after one application had 
been made all the knots were cut out. This was done April 25, 
and the knots from each portion were counted so that the relative 
number of branches in each portion could be estimated and a basis 
for comparison might be made when the knots should again be 
cut. They had been allowed to remain on the tree during the 
preceding year so that the chances for further infection should be 
as favorable as possible. At the time of their removal no marked 
difference could be seen in favor of either portion as regards the 
relative abundance of the knots, although on the sprayed portion 
they may not have been quite so thick. 

The Bordeaux mixture was again used in 1894. It was applied 
to the same portion treated in 1893 and upon the following dates : 
April 9 and 25, May 21, June 6 and 27, July 10 and 20, and Aug- 
ust 1. This number of treatments gave the limbs and foliage a 
blue color which they retained until the leaves fell to the ground, 
and at this writing, December 3,the branches still show a decided 
coloration. 

Figure 5 represents the thicket as it appeared November 26 be- 
fore the knots were cut out after the summer’s growth. The illus- 
tration does not represent plainly the number of knots present, 
but it will be noticed that there are many more on the unsprayed 


‘ANIXIT xnvoplog yjumn pakvrgs 42YJ0 ay) ‘nayDaAJUN jog puvy jfay ‘squnjd ayz fo uows 
“121P 3Y] SYAVUL Y Ff auYy ay ymr ata sjouy ayy aaofag ‘Aaquianoyy ut uayn] YgoArSOJ0YY  “jouyy-yInj.g 40f Surtvsds—'S 


a 


Way 


‘sjouy ay) fo v20utaA ay. fo a2uanbasuo? v sv 


( 


742] 24] 01) gA0g 


PIPDILJUN IY] JO SUIUNAG IAIQIS IY) PLNISGQ *JNI I1am Sony ayy Aayfo ‘SF “OLY SD IULDS IY [ 


LR gee eke 


JOU -yI0T A0f surtvadg—g 


652 BULLETIN 8&1. 


than upon the sprayed part. The line between the two plots 
passes across the page from 4 to B. The knots were all cut out 
after the photograph was taken. ‘The appearance of the thicket 
after the operation is shown in Figure 6. It will be noticed what 
a large proportion of small branches has been removed from the 
unsprayed part. When the value of these branches is considered, 
the seriousness of this loss can be realized. The sprayed portion 
lost but a very small number of such twigs and is still in very 
good condition. The table below shows the numbers obtained in 
the spring and those removed in the fall. By the term ‘‘new”’ 
knots are meant those which appeared to have been produced by 
a new infection; ‘‘old’’ knots are those which apparently grew 
from the mycelium which had not been removed when the knots 
were cut in the spring. 
April 25, 1894. 

Unsprayed portions, knots removed - - - 2002 
’ Sprayed My se < u : 1155 
November 26, 1894. 


Unsprayed portion, total number removed 3529—new knots 3466 
Sprayed ¢¢ 66 66 C6 240 ¢¢ 6 165 


The above figures are full of encouragement. They show, not 
that the black knot fungus has been held under absolute control, 
(and what fungous disease is, ) but that it issusceptible to treatment. 
There was a large increase, nearly 57 per cent., in the number of 
knots cut in the fall from the unsprayed portion over those cut in 
the spring. Had the same proportionate increase taken place in 
the sprayed part, a supposition which must be allowed had no 
applications been made, the number of knots produced would 
have been within a fraction of 2000. Consequently, the 165 new 
knots should be compared with 2000, and not with 1155 as 
shown by the table. It must also be considered that this reduc- 
tion took place in the face of circumstances which had been made 
as favorable for the spreading of disease as possible. The 
sprayed portion had been covered with knots during the first 
year’s treatments. It was practically in contact with a large 
number of diseased plants. And finally, we are still in the dark 
as to the best time of making the application, for we do not know 


BLACK-KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 653 


ia 
with certainty when the infections take place, nor when the knot 
appears after infection has occurred. If this were known the 
matter would be considerably simplified, and still better results 
obtained. It would appear from the above that an orchard may 
be kept practically free from the knot if the trees are sprayed at 
the proper time. One or two treatments might be given before 
the blossoms open, and later applications probably need not be 
made.oftener than is required to control the leaf-blight and the rot- 
ting of plums. If in addition to this the comparatively few knots 
which will undoubtedly appear be removed as soon as discovered, 
no grower need have much fear of this disease even though his 
trees be considerably exposed to infection from neighboring trees 
or thickets. The treatments which the above* experiment seems 
to justify me in recommending are as follows : 

First. During the latter part of March or early in April. 

Second. When the buds are beginning to swell. 

Third. During the latter part of May, or as soon as the new 
knots begin to show their velvety coating. 

Fourth. About two weeks after the third. 

Fifth and Sixth. At intervals of two or three weeks after the 
fourth, but these two will probably not always be necessary. _ 

The Bordeaux mixture may prove more valuable than other 
fungicides even in making the first applications, as it adheres 
better to the branches. Itis probable that some of the above treat- 
ments may in time be dispensed with. Much will depend upon 
the season and upon the degree of infection to which the or- 
chards are exposed. 

It is scarcely necessary to add that all thickets, hedges, and 
useless trees which serve as breeding and distributing centers 
should be destroyed at the first opportunity. The species of 
Prunus mentioned on page 641 should be served in the same man- 
ner as useless cultivated plants, if they aid in the propagation of 
the fungus. In the end unceasing vigilance must bring its reward. 


*TIt is unfortunate that other experiments bégun at the same time and 
carried on in a manner similiar to the above have failed to give results from 
the fact that no new knots formed upon either the sprayed or the unsprayed 
portions. The plum orchard of Geo. T. Powell, Ghent, N. Y., has been 
under treatment during two years, as well as other trees in the vicinity of 
Ithaca. All have failed to develop new knots. But the work will be con- 
inued and it is hoped to make other reports in the future. 


654 BULLETIN 81. 
SUMMARY. 


1. The black-knot of plums and cherries was first trouble- 
some in the Atlantic states.. Page 637. | 

2. Its presence west of the Alleghany mountains seems to be 
due at least in part to plants introduced from the eastern states. 
Page 637. 

3. The first swelling of the knot occasionally begins in the fall 
but is generally first noticeable in the spring. Page 638. 

4. The young, growing knot is yellowish brown in color, but 
this color changes to black as the season advances. Page 638. 

5. Knots most commonly form in the forks of young branches, 
at the union of the growths of two seasons, and upon the small 
spurs which commonly bear the fruit. Page 640. 

6.. The cause of the black-knot is a fungus, Plowrightia mor- 
bosa. Page 641. 

7. The fungus produces from each knot one crop of spores 
during the early part of the season, and another during midwin- 
ter, after which the central portion of the knot dies. Page 641. 

8. Black-knots are very generally infested by insects, but these 
are not the cause of such swellings. Page 641. 

g. The time in which the spores produced by the fungus gain 
an entrance into the branches is not definitely known, but it 
seems probable that this occurs soon after the ripening of the 
spores. Page 642. 

10. The manner in which the spores penetrate the outer tissues 
has not yet been observed; but the fact that the layer of cork is 
thinnest, or entirely wanting, in those places in which the greater 
number of knots are found leads to the conclusion that the fun- 
gus can penetrate the outer tissues at these points, but cannot 
enter at all places. Pages 643, 644. 

11. Knots found upon old wood first obtained a foothold 
upon younger wood, from which they spread to the older parts. 
Page 646. ) 

12. Many remedies for the black knot have been suggested 
but none have proved to be efficient. Page 647. 

13. The most generally recommended preventive measure is 
to cut out the knots and destroy them. ‘This work should be 


BLACK-KNOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 655 


done as soon as the knot is observed, and if well carried out it is 
an excellent method of exterminating the disease. Page 647. 

I4. Since fungicides have come into use,spraying for the black- 
knot has been recommended. Page 648. 

15. The conclusions drawn by Maynard from the experiments 
of one season recorded by him were that ‘‘the number of warts 
was very decidedly less where treated with the copper mixture, 
than where untreated. * * “* and we believe that the plum 
wart may be held in check by this remedy.’’ Page 649. 

16. <A thicket of Morello cherries which had been treated dur- 
ing two seasons by this station produced only 165 new knots. 
Page 652. 

17. From another portion of the same thicket which had not 
been treated there were cut 2002 knots on April 25, 1894. On 
November 26 of the same year this portion yielded 3466 new knots, 
an increase of nearly 58 per cent. Page 652. 

18. Had the sprayed portion remained untreated it may be 
supposed that a similar increase would have taken place in this 
part, making the assumed number cut within a fraction of 2000. 
Page 652. 

19. The reduction of the number of knots from 2000 to 165, 
considering the present state of our knowledge, and the conditions 
under which the experiment was carried on, are encouraging, and 
point to a final control of the disease. Page 652. 

20. Some of the applications which now appear necessary for 
the control of the black knot are to be made when other diseases 
require treatment. This necessitates but little extra labor in 
spraying for the prevention of the knots. Page 653. 

21. The spraying of plums and cherries to protect them from 
the black-knot fungus, as statedon page 653,can be carried on with 
profit in all sections where this disease threatens to interfere ser- 
iously with the profitable cultivation of these fruits. 

EK. G. LODEMAN. 


FORMULAS. 
BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 


Copper sulphiate 2c. Sc. ngidies leveneaseotaenaeste naar earn omer Saanpek 6 pounds 
Quicklime icc. 22G5i5.cnssectdstevecvapbenieneseiteeus bonis. ge oeeaean nnn 47 often 
Water asco cokd ccnp caer uaics sed Ube leat pale oa cab pee frase rae 40 gallons 


Dissolve the copper sulphate by putting it in a bag of coarse clothfand 
hanging this in a vessel holding at least 4 gallons, so that it is just covered 
by the water. Use an earthen or wooden vessel. Slake the lime in an equal 
amount of water. Then mix the two and add enough water to make 4o 
gallons. It is then ready for immediate use. For rots, baat mildews. 
and all fungous diseases. 


AMMONIACAL COPPER CARBONATE. 


Copper carbonate... 2502 cicecaes cs same sascnma tas talques ayaneie Stem I ounce 
AMMONIA..... .......e.seeseegesseeseeseevees COUGH to dissolve the copper. 
Water .coscce. Geils sinccnsusaventue sks naeeses ogunia scetretanahie fee anne 9 gallons 


The copper carbonate is best dissolved in large bottles, where it will keep 
indefinitely, and it should be diluted with water as required. For same pur- 
pose as Bordeaux. 

COPPER SULPHATE SOLUTION. 


Copper Sulphate 2.000.400 iccenessassnayaeieiineees tes antes tatee ana I pound 
Water cede) ielieas eaalngitaslet srs efs20 aie a sae heat ant ea entnn nee 15 gallons 


Dissolve the copper sulphate in the water, wien it is ready for use. This 
should never be applied to foliage, but must be used before the buds break. 
For peaches and nectarines use 24 gallons of water. For fungous diseases. 


PARIS GREEN. 


Paris QrCCN, jo sas Pieskesenssscpsneseate sages sae ee cee eee eye. os I pound 
Water cscs as vase cegedeevvse dasyhe as seny ets 30h este ehepa anpes ene am 250 gallons 


If this mixture is to be used upon peach trees, 1 pound quicklime should 
be added. Repeated applications will injure most foliage, unless lime is 
added. Faris green and bordeaux can be applied together with perfect 
safety. The action of neither is weakened, and the Paris green loses all caus- 
tic properties. For insects which chew. 


LONDON PURPLE. 
This is used in the same proportion as Paris green, but as it is more caustic 
it should be applied with the lime, or with the Bordeaux mixture. Do not 
use it on peach or plum trees. For insects which chew. 


HELLEBORE. . 
Fresh white hellebore ficusecs: evemaee oe ere eee conpee ner ae I ounce 
Waker. in si geaeecSngs de ected eae tes kaheee sos iuemp na edig heatte st aman 3 gallons 
Apply when thoroughly mixed. nce insects which chew. 


KEROSENE EMULSION. 


Hard Soap iin is. cite calaetiet yn be ee Piven seiartcees ¥% pound 
Boiling water, <.:..sa corp chisccovechs beh ethace nena et eatane as sean nena I gallon 
IR OLOSENE. 16560 csines stews sane os ous ander roveerelcel Senne ean a eeee a ne 2 gallons 


Dissolve the soap in the water, add the kerosene, and churn with a pump 
for 5-Io minutes. Dilute 10 to 15 times before applying. For insects which 
suck, cabbage worms, and all insects which have soft bodies. 


a “st oe | 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 347 


the remaining plots, although its advantage was slight. Between 
the other seven thete were no-obvious differences. 

Plot 4—nitrate of Sodawas conspicuously darker in foliage 
than any other throughgut the season. The vines matured well, 
although the yellow still hung to the plants in the middle 
of October. Plot Mo. 5—sylphate of ammonia—was perhaps ten 
per cent. below No. 4 in amyunt of growth, and the wood was 
not so well ripened as in the other. 


THE BLACK-KNOT OF THE PLUM AND CHERRY. 


THE NEW YORK LAW. 


The black-knot is a serious disease, at- 
tacking the branches and twigs of the plum, 
sour cherries, and sometimes sweet cherries. 
It is alsocommon upon wild choke-cherries, 
from whence it spreads to the orchards. 
The most prolific source of the disease, how- 
ever, ate the neglected hedge-rows of plums 
and Morello cherries along road-sides and 
about old buildings. Sometimes black- 
knot will be noticed sparingly in a com- 
munity for several years before it seriously 
attacks cultivated trees, and this fact has 
caused people to become indifferent to it ; 
but sooner or later it will spread and become 
a most pernicious evil. Plum growing is 
abandoned in some parts of the Hudson 
river valley because of the incursions of 
black-knot, and a similar fate is likely to 
overtake any community which neglects it. 
It is the duty of every citizen to exert him-. 
self towards the extirpation of this pest, 
and New York and Michigan now have 
laws to compel its removal. 

Black-knot is a fungous disease, and the 
, only reliable treatment yet known is to cut 
a alle off the knots and burn them. This opera- 


4 


348 3 BULLETIN 49. 


tion should be done just as soon as the leaves fall, at the 
latest. Good plum growers inspect the trees once or twice during 
the summer if black-knot is feared. Always burn the knots; if 
they are not destroyed the spores of the fungus will still develop, 
even after the knotis cut from the tree. The old knots often con- 
tain worms, but these only burrow in the spongy tissues ; they 
do not cause the disease. 

The following is the New York law. Every citizen should 
support it: : 

SEcTION 1. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or 
willfully to keep any plum, cherry or other trees infected with 
the contagious disease or fungus known as the black-knot ; that 
every tree so infected is hereby declared to be a public nuisance, 
and no damages shall be awarded in any court in this state for en- 
tering upon premises and cutting away or severing the diseased 
part or parts of any tree so infected and destroying the same, or 
cutting down or removing such infected tree altogether and de- 
stroying the same, if done in accordance with the provisions of 
this act. 

$2. In any town or city in this state in which such contagious 
disease exists, or where there is good reason to believe it, exists 
or danger may be justly apprehended of its introduction, it shall 
be the duty of the supervisor or mayor of any town or city upon 
the application made in writing and signed by at least three free- 
holders, who are residents of said town or city to appoint forth- 
with three competent freeholders, who shall be fruit-growers, of 
said town or city as commissioners, who shall hold office during 
the pleasure of said supervisor or mayor, and such order of ap- 
pointment and of revocation shall be entered at large on the town 
or city records. 


$3. It shall be the duty of said commissioners, within ten 
days after appointment as aforesaid, to file their acceptances of the 
same with the clerk of said town or city, and said clerk shall be 
ex-officio clerk of said board of commissioners, and he shall keep 
a correct record of the proceedings of said board in a book to be 
provided for the purpose, and shall file and preserve all papers 
pertaining to the duties and actions of said commissioners, or 
either of them, which shall be a part of the records of said town 
OLDcity. 


HORTICULTURAL DIVISION. 349 


§4. Itshall be the duty of the commissioners, or any one of 
them, upon or without complaint, whenever it comes to their no- 
tice that the disease known as the black knot exists, or is sup- 
posed to exist, within the limits of their town ox city, to proceed 
without delay to examine the trees supposed to be infected, and 
if the disease is found to exist a distinguishing mark or marks 
shall be placed upon that part or those parts of every tree so in- 
fected, which in the judgment of the commissioner or commis- 
sioners should be removed and destroyed, or if in the judgment 
of such commissioner, or commissioners any tree so infected 
should be entirely removed and destroyed, then the trunk of such 
trees shall be thoroughly girdled, and a written notice given to 
the owner personally, or by leaving the same at his usual place 
of residence, or if the owner be a non-resident by leaving such 
notice with the person in charge of such trees. The notice shall 
contain a simple statement of the facts as found to exist, with an 
order to effectually remove and destroy by fire the part or parts 
of every tree so marked and designated, or every such tree entire 
which shall be so girdled, as the case may be, within ten days 
from the date of the notice above required. Such notice and 
order to be signed by the three commissioners, or any two of them. 

$5. Whenever any petson shall refuse or neglect to comply 
with the order mentioned in the last section, it shall become the 
duty of the commissioners to carry out the directions of said 
order, and forthwith to remove and destroy by fire every tree, or 
part of atree, so girdled, or marked, as aforesaid, employing all 
necessary aid for that purpose; the expenses for such removal 
and destruction to be a charge against the town or city ; and for 
the purpose of such removal and destruction, the said com- 
missioners, their agents and employes, shall have the right and 
authority to enter upon any and all premises within their town or 
city. 

$6. If any owner, or if such owner be a non-resident, then 
if any person in charge of such trees, neglects to remove and de- 
stroy by fire every tree, or part of atree, so found to be infected, 
and marked, or girdled, as aforesaid, afier notification, and within 
the time hereinbefore prescribed, such person shall be guilty of a 
misdemeanor and punished by a fine not exceeding twenty-five 
dollars or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding ten 


356 BULLETIN 49. 


days, or both, in the discretion of the court; and any justice of 
the peace of any town or city, in which said offense shall be com- 
mitted, shall have jurisdiction thereof; and all such fines so 
collected shall be turned over to the supervisor of said town, or 
other proper officer, to be placed by him in the contingent fund 
of said town or city. 

$7. The commissioners shall be allowed for service under this 
act two dollars each for each full day and one dollar. each for each 
half day, and their other reasonable charges and disbursements » 
hereunder to be audited, as well as any other charges and dis- 
bursements under this act, by the board of town auditors or 
proper city officers, to be paid to such commissioners as other 
town or city accounts are paid. Such fees and all reasonable 
charges and disbursements of said commissioners, in each case 
may be recovered by the town in the name of the supervisor, 
and in cities in the name of the city, from the owner of the dis- 
eased trees, on account of which such fees, charges and disburse- 
’ ments become payable or were incurred. 
§ 8. This act shall take effect immediately. 
Approved by the Governor, May 12, 1892. 


THE WILD POTATO OF THE MEXICAN-REGION. 


About 1878 Dr. W. J. Beal of the” Michigan Agricultural 
College Teceived from the Haryafd Botanic Gardens a few 
tubers,—the largest about an inefi in diameter—of a wild potato 


from Mexico. Thi8 potato been grown since that time at the 
Michigan College, and Waffave grown it here two or three years, 
from the Michigan seew ae tubers are gradually improving, 


and in 1887, when [/nade a repert upon this potato,* the best 
tubers measured thfee inches in lengty. The largest tubers now 
reach over four/dnches in length, and ths.number of small pota- 
toes in the hls seems to be lessening. TheWJustration shows an 


average sémple of this potato as dug in our gardens this year. 


The tubers are brown, with deep eyes, and tend to be flattened. 


*Bull. 31, Mich. Expt. Sta. 87. 


Hace Bots Meeneto 


Pest ROY THE, BLACK KNOT: OF PLUM AND 
| CHERRY TREES. AN. APPEAL. 


NEW JERSEY 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 


Experiment Station. 


78. 


a 


hist WANS Gal dsH ated oln a 


AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EXPERIMENT STATION. 
BOER PEN 78: 


JANUARY 30, 18914. 


Destroy the Black Knot of Plum and Cherry 
Trees. An Appeal. 


BY BYRON D. HALSTED, BOTANIST AND HORTICULTURIST. 


This bulletin has a double purpose: first, to impress upon the 
minds of the fruit-growers of the State a full knowledge of the 
nature of the disease of cherry and plum trees commonly known as 
the Black Knot; and, secondly, to induce such action upon the part 
-of all interested, as will lead to the destruction of infested trees, and 
thereby render it possible to grow two of our choicest orchard fruits 
with pleasure and profit. | 

It is not proposed to here give the results of any original investiga- 
tions upon this pest, for its exact nature and habits of growth and 
propagation have been worked out fifteen years ago by Dr. Farlow, 


and the results published in the Bulletin of the Bussy Institution 


with three full-page lithographic plates. 

The common name of the disease is taken naturally from the black, 
wart-like growths that appear upon the twigs and branches of various 
‘species of plum and cherry trees. The Black Knot was so abundant 
in 1875 in the Eastern States that Dr. Farlow wrote as follows in. 
the opening paragraph of his elaborate paper: “An idea%may be 
formed of the small crop of plums now raised in New England from 
the fact that two dollars and a half were given in Boston last autumn 
for a peck of damsons for preserving. In some parts of New Eng- 
land, particularly in Maine and along the sea-coast, the raising of 
cherries has also been almost abandoned in consequence of the ravages 


oe = SSN y 
Gs 
ra 
=< — 7" o 


= 
3 Sag’? ~~ oe 
Das as EES ~ 


!y 


<a rennin’, 45, 3° 
alle my “ 


—_— a Pani ” cys 


% hs | tee ze ued 
a PRN Og AM wre 
NE US So eaten SU Us anh 5 y 
ae Muss Nae ‘4 “age yay oF 
SiBt iS) 
PIPE 


a 
N\\ ig } C hy € < - (aie 1 BP 
ti me on | Me on ie, Beal rag a ie aire 


Figure 1. 
An old cherry tree destroyed by Black Knot. 


fo ” ae . 
4 Qe, , : 
dG eee Al 4 ' {Me hoa 
gt ie AD 


ie a 


5 


of the Black Knot.” These discouraging words apply with equal 
force to-day, and over a wider area than New England. In my 
journeyings through } 
New Jersey during 

the past season the 

impression deepened ‘ 


into a firm convic- Ce ee 
tion that the time oe NE 


ts 


/ \\) ae 
was ripe for some- ONS oe Fa aa 
eu systematic, ee : / \ 
thorough and effect- ie “y 
ive, to be done in : 
eradicating this fatal \ | — 
disease of our plum NG alte ae 
and cherry trees. Aa WN 

In the first place, 7 \_!| . ® ARS. : 
let the reader get J 
a clear understand- y 
ing of the nature 
of the enemy that 
it is proposed to 
conquer. There is 
no question whatever ¥ 
about the Black | | Pay 
Knot being caused ( 
by a low form of ; : 
vegetable growth  —-~—~ ‘ 
called a fungus, that 
sends it minute 
threads through the 
substance of the 
twigs and branches. 
It is, therefore, ne- 
cessary to gain a 
knowledge -of this 


Ae Cee eee 
wel Pie tig lc We = 

BN eae Wilts gn 

“tsp, NONE WAS Mee Muse °. 


° i AW Ti a os at 

fungus, and for this a ; a Nin Cant vane 
ARMOR MAL? tS Says 
purpose the accom- aR HCUNIT GS. Nk 


panying engravings Figure 2.’ 
have been prepared. A young plum tree badly attacked. 


6 


While it is generally assumed that the appearance of a diseased tree is 
familiar to most of the readers, it has been thought wise to give illus- 
trations of two badly-infested trees, that no question in regard to the 


Figure 3. 


An old Knot (natural size). 


matter should remain in the minds 
of any. When the leaves are off, 


/*G> the excrescences are conspicuous, and 


often so numerous as to greatly dis- 
figure the dying tree, as shown in 
Figure 1. This engraving is from 
a photograph of an old cherry tree, 
the larger part of which has been 
cut away from time to time on ac- 
count of the ravages of Black Knot, 
and the remaining portion should be 
at once consigned to the flames. 
Figure 2 is from a photograph of a 
young plum tree made worthless by 
the ravages of the same fungus, and, 
as it stood within a few rods of the 
old cherry tree shown in Figure 1, 
probably was infected by spores 
from it. The knots themselves vary 
in size and shape, some extending 
entirely around the twig, while 
others grow lengthwise of the 
branch upon one side, and cause it 
to become bent sometimes almost 
double, in which case the portion 
above the excrescence dies. The 
surface of the old knots that have 
been extending from the first point 
of attack perhaps for years, consists 
of a black, undulating crust that 
finally breaks up and exposes the 
worm-eaten interior. An average 
knot that has been three or more 


years in growing is shown in Figure 3, with the cracks that have de- 


veloped from time to time. 


The beginnings of a young knot are first seen in a manifest swell- 


7 


ing of the young twig, which is soon followed by a cracking of the 
bark, and in the rifts thus formed the threads of the fungus come to 
the surface and clothe it with a covering of olive filaments bearing 
multitudes of spores. A young branch is shown in Figure 4 that 


Figure 4. 


A forming knot. 


exhibits the characteristic swelling of the initial knot 
and the cracks in the bark in which the spores are 


borne. A highly-magnified portion of a rift in the 


bark is shown in Figure 5, in which the superficial 
stalks and their spores are seen, These spores are car- 
ried in all directions by the wind, and falling upon the 


surface of young shoots, germinate, send their filaments 


through the bark into the growing ring of soft tissue 
beneath and institute another knot. 

As the season advances the young knots and the 
fresh growth of older ones lose their olive, velvety ap- 
pearance, turn of a dark color and develop a hard in- 


% crustation upon the surface. Within the substance of 


this black and brittle layer many spherical pits are 
formed, as shown in Figure 6, and as winter advances, 
minute sacs are produced upon the wall of the cavity, 
that toward spring bear each eight oval bodies that are 
known as sac spores. These escape from their long sacs 
and pass out through a pore at the top of the cavity, 
and are then ready to be carried by the winds to the 
surface of a young cherry or plum twig, and thus begin 
another knot, which, in the course of time, produces a 
new crop of summer and another of winter spores, and 
thus the disease is preserved and propagated. In Fig- 
ure 7 is shown two of the sacs with the eight spores in 
each. A free spore is also shown in the process of 
germination. The last three engravings are redrawn 
after cuts by Dr. Farlow in the paper previously re- 
ferred to. It is a fact that cannot be too emphatically 
stated here that the ascospores above mentioned are 
matured during the winter months, and that they will 
continue to ripen when the knots have been removed 
from the tree and left undestroyed upon the ground. 
There are other forms of spores besides the two 
already pointed out, but their presence or absence does 


8 


‘not change in the least the treatment that should be given to diseased 
trees, and therefore may be omitted from this special appeal. The 
fact of their existence only strengthens the previous conviction that 


Figure 5. 


A portion of a young knot, highly magnified. 


in the Black Knot we have a fungus perennial in its character and 
wonderfully provided with methods of spore formation for the rapid 
spreading of the malady at ail seasons of the year. 

A very practical point in this connection is the range of species 
upon which the Black Knot occurs, There is probably no variety of 
cultivated plum that is exempt from it. On the other hand, some 
sorts of garden cherries do not seem to be subject to the devastating. 
influences of the Black Knot. The Morello and Mazzard sorts are the 
- most susceptible, and therefore at present there is little encouragement 
to grow them. But the pest is not confined to the cultivated varieties 
of plums and cherries, and this fact adds considerably to the burden * 
of eradicating the evil, making systematic effort all the more impera- 
tive. The following are the wild species of plum and cherry that 
suffer from the attacks of the Black Knot: The Chickasaw plum 
(Prunus Chicasa, Michx.), a comparatively rare, thorny, dwarf tree, 
found along the banks of the Delaware river, where it has crept in 


7g 


from the Southwest. Prunus maritima, Wang., the beach plum, is a 
low, thorny shrub common on the sandy sea-coast and frequent in 
the pine barrens of the State. The wild yellow or red plum (Prunus 
_Americana, Marsh) is a third species of plum, a small, thorny shrub 
or small tree, frequent along streams in the middle and northern 
counties, that does not escape the ravages of the Black Knot. Of 
the cherries, the Prunus Virginiana, L., or common choke cherry, a 
small tree, is the most generally infested. The wild black cherry 
(Prunus serotina, Ehrb.), a good-sized forest tree, often seen along 
fence-rows, is suscepti- 
ble. Prunus Pensylva- 
nica, L., the wild red 
cherry frequently found 
in the northern parts of 
the State, is also sub- 
ject to attacks. 

There are, therefore, 
at least eight species of | 
the genus Prunus that 
are more or less affected 
by the Black Knot, and 
there seems to be no 
doubt but that all are 
attacked by the same A) Bowen 76 
fungus, namely, Plow- | ) 
rightia morbosa, Sacc., 
and that one kind of 
prunus may take the 
disease from any of the 
other seven susceptible 
species. There are only Magnified view of spore cavity. 
two other kinds of pru- | 
nus in the State, namely, the sloe or black thorn (Prunus spinosa, L.), 
not widespread, and the dwarf cherry (Prunus pumila, L.) of the 
rocky hills of the northern counties. The general appearance of the 
knots varies somewhat among the various species of prunus, which 
has led some to think that they were not all caused by the same 
fungus, but it has been demonstrated by direct inoculations that the 
spores from the knots of the choke cherry will produce the quite dis- 


SSS, 


Figure 6. 


10 


similar excrescences common to the garden plum, a fact that in this- 
connection it is important to know. 

To those who have held the opinion that the knots are produced: 
by insects, and this is not an unnatural view of the matter, for many 
excrescences, galls, etc., are due to them, it may be well to reproduce 
the argument used by Dr. Farlow in his paper before referred to: 
‘First, the knots do not resemble the galls made by any known insect. 
Secondly, although insects, or remains of insects, are generally 
found in old knots, in most cases no insects are found in them when: 
young. Thirdly, the insects that have : 
been found by entomologists in the knots 
are not all of one species, but of several 
different species, which are also found on 
trees which are never affected by the 
knot. On the other hand, we never have 
the Black Knot without the Spheria 
[ Plowrightia] morbosa, as was admitted 
’ by Harris, and the mycelium of that fungus 
is found in the slightly-swollen stem long 
before anything which could be called a 
knot has made its appearance. Further- 
more, the Spheria morbosa is not known 
to occur anywhere except in connection 
with the knots.” The proof of the nature 
of the cause of the trouble is complete, and 
it only remains to consider the most satis- 
factory method of eradicating it. 

In view of the fact that it infests sev- 
eral species of wild plums and cherries, is 
abundantly provided with means for 
spreading from one kind of prunus to 
another, and is perennial where once in- 
troduced, it cannot be hoped that it will be driven out except by con- 
certed and thorough efforts upon the part of fruit-growers of the State. 

The remedies to be proposed are few in number, and easily applied. 
~The old one of removing all the knots with a knife and burning 
them is highly recommended. However, when a tree is thoroughly 
infested, it is not easy to cut far enough below the excrescence to: 
remove all the fungus. The writer has frequently seen vigorous trees,. 


& 
fey 
2 


+ 
- 


5 
2 
7? 


-” 


=v 
- # 
Mae 
7”.:? 


Pet of 


% 


~~ 


, 
f a 
tte 
“2m: 
cS 
‘ ~ 
. Fe ee . 
; *, 
: t 
: 2) 


Figure 7. 


Two spore-sacs, and a free spore 
germinating. 


1] 


highly prized by the owner, so' severely pruned as to leave only a few 
stubs in place of the branches, and upon the tips of each the next 
season would grow knots of considerable size. In all such cases there 
seems to be only one thing to be done, and that is to remove the whole- 
tree and cast it into the consuming burn-heap—the sooner the better. 

At the Massachusetts Experiment Station this serious pest has been 
under consideration, and the application of various substances to the 
knots fully tested. Thus, linseed oil, turpentine and kerosene were 
severally applied to the galls to saturation with a brush at different. 
times during the summer. They “all effectually destroy the plum 
* wart,” but the turpentine and kerosene must be used with great care,. 
or the branch will be killed. No such injury follows the application 
of linseed oil. It is suggested in the bulletin (No. 4) containing the 
above results that a solution of sulphate of copper applied with a. 
hand-pump in early spring to the whole tree, and more concentrated 
with a brush to the forming galls later in the season, may prove- 
effective. In a later bulletin (No. 6), the painting of the knots with 
a mixture of red oxide of iron in linseed oil it is stated has given 
good results. We read further in this bulletin that a very serious. 
difficulty in dealing with the pest in question is presented by the fact 
that while one fruit-grower may do his part in the eradication fully 
and well, a lazy or thoughtless neighbor lets his infested and worse- 
than worthless trees remain to breed the contagion for the whole neigh- 
borhood. 

The writer being fully aware of this state of affairs, wrote the fol- 
lowing paragraphs for the Garden and Forest, published.in the issue 
of April 16th, 1890: 


“WHY NOT LEGISLATE AGAINST THE BLACK KNOT? 


“There are some good reasons for legislating against the Black. 
Knot (Plowrightia morbosa) of the plum and cherry trees. In the 
first place, the fungus is beyond question extremely destructive ; whole 
orchards of large size in many parts of the country have been aban- 
doned because of this parasitic plague. Secondly, it is a conspicuous 
disease, and during a half of the year when the trees are defoliated 
the knots can be found without the least difficulty. Any attempts to- 
shield the trouble, on the part of the owner, would be fruitless, even 
if he should care to preserve the curse. In the third place, the 
remedy is the very heroic one of the knife, and easily, safely and with 
certainty applied. There may be some compounds put upon the 


12 


diseased parts that will kill the fungus, but it is so deeply seated that — 
when a twig is thoroughly infested there is little left for the fruit 
grower to do but cut away and burn the black excrescences. If a 
tree is badly attacked, the wisest method is to cut down bodily and 
destroy it by fire. Finally, when once the old knots are cleared out it — 
will be an easy matter to keep the fungus from gaining a fresh foothold. 

‘There are many trees which are literally covered with knots and 
have been for years; trees which bear no fruit and never will, and 
they are worse than mere monuments of carelessness, for they prop- 
agate and perpetuate a disease that renders plum-raising almost an 
impossibility in their neighborhood. Sometimes these old, distorted 
trees are upon the roadside, where any passing lad can pull off and 
carry to- his own home one of these malformations, to become a new 
center of infection. But these knots do not need to be transported to 
produce infection, for the millions of spores developed in the spring, 
while too small to be seen, pass long distances with the winds, and thus 
spread the disease. 

“There are several fungous diseases against which the State Legis- 
Jatures or the National Congress might pass enactments fully as 
wholesome and beneficial as those for the control of the diseases of 
animals, but few of them offer so many favorable points for successful 
legislation as the Black Knot—the scourge of plum and cherry- 
growers in many localities. The law should include, to be effective, 
all wild plum and cherry trees that are breeding-places of the pest.” 


We have already a law preventing the spread of new fungous 
diseases, which was approved last May, and for the information of 
those most interested it is given below: 


“An Act to Prevent the Spread of Fungous Diseases of Plants. 


“WHEREAS, The officers of the State Agricultural Experiment Sta- 
tion have discovered certain new fungous growths that threaten 
serious injury to important agricultural interests of the State; 
therefore, 


“1. BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the 
State of New Jersey, That when the officers of the State Agricultural 
Experiment Station shall discover any new fungous growth which is 
doing injury to plants or vines, and while the same is confined to 
limited areas, they are hereby authorized and empowered to enter 
upon any lands bearing vines or plants so affected, and destroy the 
same by fire or otherwise, as they shall deem best. 

“2, And be it enacted, That any damage to private property result- 
ing from the operation of destroying the said fungous growth by the 


13 


officers of the State, shall be certified to by them, and the amount of 
damage paid to the owners thereof, from the same fund and in the 
same manner as is paid to owners of diseased animals killed by order 
of the State Board of Health. ; 

“3. And be it enacted, That expenditures under this act shall not 
exceed one thousand dollars in any one year. 

“4, And be it enacted, That this act shall take effect immediately. 

“Approved May 23d, 1890.” 


It will be seen that this does not cover the case of the Black Knot, 
which is an offender of long standing. Besides, this pest is of such 
a nature that any considerate person interested in the fruit indus- 
try of his section, could scarcely wish for any compensation from the 
State for using every possible effort to check if not eradicate an 
enemy that can be so easily found and so quickly dealt with as the 
Black Knot. If, however, the desired end cannot be reached by an 
earnest appeal to the good sense of the farmers and fruit-growers of 
the State, there remains possibly the effective impulse that can come 
from legislative enactment. 

What needs to be done is to remove the Black Knot from the 
orchards and gardens throughout the State. If there are only a few 
isolated excrescences here and there upon the plum and cherry trees, 
the importance of removing these is still great, for they are seats of 
a contagious disease that constantly gains ground through any delay. 
Should the tree be badly infested and practically worthless, let it no 
longer encumber the ground. Let all such be cut down and burned 
at once. Seek out any knot-bearing plum or cherry tree, wild or 
tame, that stands in the highway or fence-row, and cut and burn it. 
The loss of the tree or shrub, as such, will be as nothing when com- 
pared with the gain in choice fruit in the future. Last but not least, 
pass through the wood-lot with axe in hand, and destroy every speci- 
men of choke cherry or other knot-bearing relative that may be 
lurking there. Last of all, take an active interest in the matter out- 
side your own domain, and if possible see that your neighbors upon all 
sides do as you have done. This is nothing more than your duty 
that is here brought to your notice. 

Nurserymen above all others should be attentive to the instructions 
here given. Whole rows of young plum trees, for example, may be 
diseased, the infection coming to them from older knotty trees in the 
nursery or from wild species growing in the fence-row or wood-lot 
near by. When such stock goes out the disease goes with it, and 


14 


perhaps to localities previously exempt from the trouble. While, | 
‘therefore, watchful for the knots upon the trees at home, the fruit- 
-grower should bear in mind that he needs to set young trees that are 
free from the fungus. | 


Finally, the hope is indulged in that this appeal will be met in the 


kind spirit in which it is made, for it is only a desire to further the 


fruit interests of New Jersey that prompts it, and the manifest need 


-of something being done to meet a growing enemy, and that at once. 


The comparative leisure of the winter days offers a most appropriate 


‘time to seek out the Black Knots of plum and cherry trees, wild as 


well as cultivated, in woods as well as orchards, and burn them. Let 


the cleansing agencies of pruning knife, axe and fire be applied 


wherever the conspicuous enemy to two of our best fruits can be 


ound. 


JAMES NEILSON, 
. Acting Director. 
New Brunswick, N. J., January 30th, 1891. 


jaa Hs b ig 


CL” 


Ne oh Aavieattura Papert Staton 


PETER COLLIER, DIRECTOR. 


BULLETIN No. 72—NEW SERIES. 


JUNE, 1894. 


PREVENTING LEAF BLIGHT OF PLUM AND CHERRY 
NURSERY STOCK. 


GENEVA, N. Y. 


BOARD OF CONTROL. 


GOVERNOR FLOWER, Albany. 

CuHAs. JONES, Geneseo, Livingston Co. 

Gro. F. Mis, Fonda, Montgomery Co. 
WILLIAM C. BARRY, Rochester, Monroe Co. 
Puitirp N. NIcHoLAS, Geneva, Ontario Co. 
ADRIAN TUTTLE, Watkins, Schuyler Co. 

S. H. Hammonp, Geneva, Ontario Co. 
WiLiiamM D. BARNS, Middle Hope, Orange Co. 
MARTIN V. B. IvEs, Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co. 
LuMAN D. OLNEY, Watertown, Jefferson Co. 


OFFICERS OF THE BOARD 


W. C. BARRY, . - - President. 

W. O’ HANLON, - - - Secretary and Treasurer. 
CHAS. JONES, 

PHILIP N. NICHOLAS, 

S. H. HAmmonpn, - < Executive Committee. 
MARTIN V. B. Ivks, 

L. D. OLNEY, 


STATION STAFF. 


Dr. PETER COLLIER, Director. 
Wm. P. WHEELER, First Assistant. 
iL. LL. VANSLYKE, Pu. D., Chemist. 
S. A. BEAcH, M. S., Horticulturist. 
C. G. JENTER, PH. C., Assistant Chemist. 
A. L. KNISELY, M. S., Assistant Chemist. 
W. B. Capy, PH. C., Assistant Chemist. 
*B. L. MuRRAY, Pu. C., Assistant Chemist. 
*A.D. Cook, Pu. C., Assistant Chemist. 
WENDELL PADDOCK, B. S., Assistant Horticulturist. 
Gro. W. CHURCHILL, Agriculturist. 
FRANK E. NEWTON, Clerk and Stenographer. 


All correspondence should be addressed to the New York 
Agricultural Experiment Station, or to the Director, Geneva, N.Y. 
The Bulletins published by the Station will be sent free to 
any farmer applying for them. 


*Connected with Fertilizer Control. 


BULLETIN 72.—NEW SERIES. 


PREVENTING LEAF BLIGHT OF PLUM AND CHERRY 
NURSERY STOCK. 


During the years of 1891 and 1892 Mr. D. G. Fairchild, assist- 
ant in the U. S. Division of Vegetable Pathology conducted some 
very valuable experiments in spraying nursery stock at this 
Station. The progress of the work in 1891 was noted in Bulletin 
No. 3 0f the U.S. Division of Vegetable Pathology and a report of 
the work of 1892 was given in Vol. VII, pp. 240-264, of the Jour- 
nal of Mycology, published by the same Division, and also in the 
last annual report of this Station, pp. 642-673. 

Since these publications are probably accessible to any who are 
interested in these investigations it will be sufficient in this con- 
nection to make a very brief statement of the results of the exper- 
iments. 

The experiment designed to compare the efficacy against the 
leaf blight of plum on cherry nursery stock of the ammoniacal 
solution of copper carbonate and the Bordeaux mixture resulted 
in a more favorable showing for the latter. 

On Mahaleb stock, both Windsor and Yellow Spanish cherries 
did better under Bordeaux mixture treatment than without any 
treatment.* ip 

On Mazzard stock the treated cherries trees were superior to the 
untreated ; the Bordeaux mixture was slightly superior to the 
ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate when six treatments 
with each are compared ; the ammoniacal solution of copper car- 
bonate was evidently injurious to the health of the foliage.+ 

With plums on Myrobolan stock the fungicides proved effective 
in that the treated trees lost only a small number of leaves as 
compared with the untreated trees. 


*Jour. Myc., VII, p. 251; Annual Rep. N. Y. State Expt. Station, 1892, p. 


657- 
+Jour. Myc., VII, p. 252; Annual Report of N. Y. State Expt. Station, 
1892, p. 658. 


342 
On Marianna stock the treatment prevented the leaf blight to a 
notable degree.* The ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate 


proved inferior to the Bordeaux mixture since it injured the 
treated foliage. 


Experiments of 1893. 


At the request of several nurserymen who were much interested 
in the above mentioned experiments, after consulting with Mr. 
Fairchild, it was decided that the Station Horticulturist should 
continue the treatment of the plums and cherries during 1893 
with those trees which had been sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, 
but to discontinue the treatment with those trees which had been 
sprayed with ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate, since the 
previous years investigations had shown that this solution was 
injurious to the foliage. 

The nursery stock included in the experiment consisted of the 
same trees with which Mr. Fairchild had conducted his investi- 
gations during 1891 and 1892, and the plan of the nursery may 
be seen by referring to the publications above mentioned. The 
buds were set in 1891, and the trees in 1893 were therefore 
making their second season’s growth from the bud. 


Cherries. 


The cherry stock consisted of Windsor, Yellow Spanish and 
Montmorency on Mahaleb and also the same varieties on Maz- 
zard. Although the leaf blight had been prevalent among these 
trees in 1892,{ they were practically free from the disease in 1893, 
and the treated trees consequently showed no appreciable advan- 
tage over the untreated trees. They were given the same treat- 
ment as that hereafter described for plums. 


Plums. 


The plums consisted of the three varieties, Early Prolific, 
Purple Egg and Italian Prune on Myrobolan and the same varieties 
on Marianna. Those trees which in the previous seasons had 


*Jour. Myc., VII, 255; Annual Report N. Y. State Expt. Station, 1892, p. 
662. 


{ Jour. Myc., VII pp. 252 and 254, plates XXVI, XXVII; Annual Report 
N. Y. State Expt. Station, 1892, pp. 656 and 658, plates 25 and 26. ; 


343 


been sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture were treated with the 
same mixture in 1893, and all other trees were left untreated for 
comparison. ‘Two treatments were given, one June 13 and the 
other July 14. 

The leaf blight was abundant among the plums. The sprayed 
trees held their leaves about a month later and also made a much 
better growth than did the unsprayed trees. ‘The latter began to 
drop their leaves early in the autumn, and by October roth most 
of their branches were entirely leafless, while the sprayed trees 
held their foliage much later and did not become entirely defoli- 
ated till about a month after the unsprayed trees had become 
leafless. 


ON MARIANNA STOCK. 


Avg. Caliper |AvgWeight|Avg Weight 
‘TREATMENT. NUMBER AND NAME. |thirty-seconds| of Tops. | of Roots. 
of an inch, Ounces. Ounces. 
1891-2. 1893. 
Ammoniacal 
5 times. None. 6 Karly Prolific, 
Ditto 19.4 9.3 4.5 
6 times. None. (Aves Ss # 
Bordeaux Bordeaux 
5 times. twice. TAs jos et 
| 
Bordeaux Bordeaux a hep 22° 8.3 
6 times. twice. A lees i | 
| 
None. None. ae o 19.5 | 7.0 3.5 
Ammoniacal 
5 times. None. 13 Purple Egg, | . 
Ditto | | 29.3 20:7) A) ies 
6 times. None. |22 A | 
Bordeaux Bordeaux 
5 times. twice. idgp ts es 
Ditto Bordeaux 29.6 27.1 g.2 
6 times, twice. ey et : 
None. None. cy iam yh | 25.2 9.7 / 5.7 
Ammoniacal 
5 times. None. 16 Italian Prune, 
Ditto ! 20.6 | 9.2 4.4 
6 times. None. a ak a 
Bordeaux Bordeaux 
5 times. twices. {14° ot 
Ditto Bordeaux 25-9 13.9 7-3 
6 times. twice. Twa “ 


344 


ON MYROBOLAN STOCK. 


Avg. Caliper |AvgWeight|/Avg Weight 
TREATMENT. NUMBER AND NAME. | thirty-seconds| of Tops. | of Roots. 
of an inch. Ounces. Ounces. 
1891-2. 1893. 

Ammoniacal 

5 times. None, 9 Early Prolific, 
Ditto pee 6.2 Lt soa 

6 times. None. itch e 
Bordeaux Bordeaux 

5 times, twice. LTR sea f 
Ditto Bordeaux 23.6 ‘3 7.6 

6 times. twice. 13 ioe Mg 
None. None. 7 ORS : 16.4 5.5 3.8 
Ammoniacal 

5 times, None. 11 Purple Egg, 26.5 107 7.9 
Bordeaux Bordeaux 

5 times. twice. 13 at re 
Ditto Bordeaux . 29-4 18.1 8.6 

6 times twice. Me ieee: 
None. None. TOva f 22.6 9.2 Fe 
Ammoniacal f 

5 times. None. to [talian Prune, 
Ditto PAS] 9.6 . 6.4 

6 times. None. FAVA : 
Bordeaux Bordeaux 

5 times. twice. TAD eyes e 
Ditto Bordeaux 25.6 II.5 8.0 

6 times. twice. Tap oe 
None. None. Os es 21.4 8.2 6.0 


The comparative condition of the 


trees is well shown by figures 
a photograph Oct. 18, 1893, shows the almost complete defolia- 
tion of the untreated trees at this date, while Fig. 2, also from a 
photograph, shows the manner in which the sprayed trees were 
holding their foliage at this time. 

The benefit of the treatment was seen not only in the more 
perfect foliage of the sprayed trees but also in their increased 
growth as evidenced by the increased weight of both tops and 
roots, and by the larger diameter when calipered five inches above 
The weights and measurements are given in the pre- 
ceding tables: 

It will be noticed that in every instance the Bordeaux treat- 


the collar. 


Fig. 


sprayed and unsprayed 
i endies: 


1 from 


Fic, 1.—Purple Egg on Marianna Stock not sprayed,—Oct. £0, 1893. 


Fic, 2.—Purple Egg on Marianna Stock, sprayed June 13 and July 14 with 
Bordeaux Mixture, 4 pound to 11 gallons.—Oct, 10, 1893. 


345 


ment gave heavier trees than no treatment, and with a 
single exception, gave trees of larger caliper. This exception 
might be due to inequality of soil conditions. ‘The general evi- 
dence of the experiments shows conclusively the beneficial results 


of the spraying. 


The strength of the Bordeaux mixture used in this work was 
one pound of copper sulphate and the necessary amount of lime 
to eleven gallons of water. The Nixon Climax pump made at 
Dayton, O., and the Vermorel nozzle were used. 

In preparing the Bordeaux mixture the required amount of 
copper sulphate was dissolved and diluted to about two-thirds of 
the required strength; the fresh slaked lime was then poured into 
this solution in the form of a thin whitewash until the potassium 
ferrocyanide test showed that a sufficient amount of lime had been 
added. The mixture was then diluted to the required strength. 
When the lime is poured into the solution care should be taken 
to keep out any coarse sediment that might clog the nozzle. 

‘The copper sulphate will dissolve more readily in hot water 
than in cold. It also dissolves more readily if suspended near 


the top of the water than when lying on the bottom of the barrel 


or tank in which it is dissolved. 
Stock solution. It is best to use freshly prepared Bordeaux 


mixture, but the lime and the copper sulphate solution may both 


be kept prepared for use and thus much time may be saved in 
making the mixture. The lime may be slaked in a barrel or box 
partly buried in the ground. By keeping the lime covered with 
water it will keep in good condition for an indefinite length of 
time. The copper sulphate may be dissolved in large quantities 
and the proper quantity of this solution may be measured out 
whenever needed. In allexcept experimental work our plan is to 
dissolve a large quantity of the copper sulphate, using one gallon 
of water for every two poundsof sulphate. Before using this solu- 
tion it isthoroughly stirred each time and then the required amount 
is measured out. Thus if the formula calls for four pounds of cop. 
per sulphate, two gallons of this solution are required. It should 
never be dissolved or kept in iron vessels since it corrodes the 
iron. 

Weighing and straining the lime. It was formerly thought 
necessary to strain the milk of lime into the copper sulphate 


bad 


346 
solution and a coarse sieve or a gunny sack was commonly 
used for this purpose, but it is found except where the 
nozzles are not directed by an operator but are stationary as 
in general machines, that the operation of straining is unneces- 
sary if care is used in pouring. The clear lime water is not 
sufficient but the lime mixed with the water must be used. 
The amount of lime necessary to form the Bordeaux mixture 
was formerly determined by weighing, using two-thirds as much ~ 
lime as copper sulphate but by means of the potassium ferro- 
cyanide test the necessity of weighing the lime is now obviated. 
Potassium ferro-cyanidetest. Pour the lime into the copper 
sulphate solution, stir the mixture thoroughly and then adda 
drop of the potassium ferro cyanide. If enough lime has been 
added the drop will not change ‘color when it strikes the mixture, 
otherwise it will immediately change to a dark reddish brown 
color. More lime must then be added till the potassium ferro- 
cyanide does not change color when dropped into the mixture. 
The potassium ferro-cyanide, also known as the yellow prussi- 
ate of potash, is a poisonous substance. Itisa yellow salt which 
readily dissolves in water and a solution may conveniently be. 
kept on hand in a small bottle. The commercial form of the 
potassium ferro-cyanide may be used. A few cents should pur- 
chase enough to last through the season. | 
Excess of lime. It is important that enough lime be added, 
otherwise the mixture may injure the foliage, while an excess of 
lime will not harm the foliage. 


SUMMARY. 


1... In 1892, cherry nursery stock was successfully treated by 


vip 


“Mr. Fairchild, for the prevention of leaf blight. The same trees 


treated again in 1893, showed no benefit from the treatment 
because both treated and untreated trees were practically~ free 
from the disease. -— 

2. In 1892, plum nursery stock was successfully treated with . 


Bordeaux mixture for-leaf plight..by. Mr. Fairchild. Thé same © 


trees were again successfully treated with the same mixture in 


* 1893. The good effects of the treatment were shown in the 


increased growth of both tops and roots and in the healthier foli- 
age. ‘The foliage remained attached to the branches about a 
month later than did the unsprayed foliage. 


e 


LN. 


Hex fork A ave Fpeviment Station 


BULLETIN No 98—NEW SERIES. 


JANUARY, 1806. 


— Part I.—PLUM LEAF SPOT. 
Part I]1.—CHERRY LEAF SPOT AND FRUIT ROT. 


BY S. A. BEACH. 


GENEVA, N. Y. 


vu in” eae 


BOARD OF “CONTRGE: 


GOVERNOR Morton, Albany. 

CHAS, JONES, Geneseo, Livingston Co. 

WILLIAM C. BARRY, Rochester, Monroe County. 
Puitip N. NICHOLAS, Geneva, Ontario Co. 
ADRIAN TUTTLE, Watkins, Schuyler Co. 

S. H. Hammonp, Geneva, Ontario Co. 
WILLIAM D. BARNS, Middle Hope, Orange Co. 
MARTIN V. B. IvEs, Potsdam, St. Lawrence Co. 
Luman D. OLNEY, Watertown, Jefferson Co. 

A. C. CHASE, Syracuse, Onondaga County. 


OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 


MARTIN V. B. Ivks, - - President. 
W. O’ HANLON, - ~ - Secretary and Treasurer. 


CHAS. JONES, 
PHILIP N. NICHOLAS, 


Seah ae en - - Executive Committee. 


L. D. OLNEY, 
ADRIAN TUTTLE, J 

STATION STAFF. 
beers Director and 


L. L. VANSLYKE, PH. D., Cheniion 
Wm. P. WHEELER, First Assistant. 
S. A. BEACH, M. S., Horticulturist. 
WENDELL PADDOCK, B. S., Assistant Horticulturist. 
*F, A. SIRRINE, M.S., Entomologist. 
*VictoR H. Lowg, B.S., Entomologist. 
*F, C. STEWART, M. S.. Mycologist. 
C. G. JENTER, Pu. C., Assistant Chemist. 
A. Ll. KNISELY, M. S., Assistant Chemist. 
Ji AVER CLERCHBAS:, Assistant Chemist. 
TA. D. Coox, Pu. C., Assistant Chemist. 
TH. H. SEHEty, A. B., Assistant Chemist. 
+W. H. ANDREWS, B. S. Assistant Chemist 
GEO. W. CHURCHILL, Agriculturist. 
FRANK KE. NEWTON, Clerk and Stenographer 


Address all correspondence, not to individual members of the 
staff, but to the NEw York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION, GENEVA, N.Y. 

The Bulletins published by the Station will be sent free to 
any farmer applying for them. 


*Connected with Long Island Branch Station. 
tConnected with Fertilizer Control. 


NEw YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, ; 
GENEVA, N. Y., Jan. 16, 1896. 
Hon. FRED C. SCHRAUB, Commissioner of Agriculture. 
Sir: During the summer of 1895 a comparison was made of 
two spraying mixtures for the prevention of cherry fruit rot and 
cherry leaf spot. The experiments were conducted in Orange 


' County under the direction of this Station. The bulletin herewith 


submitted for publication under chapter 509, laws of 1895, contains 
an account of these experiments and also of experiments for treat- 
ing plum leaf spot. 
L. L. VAN SLYKE, 
Acting Director. 


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BULLETIN 98—NEW SERIES. 
PARTI. PILUM LEAF SPOT. 


In 1892, 1893 and 1894 the plum leaf spot disease 
was checked in an orchard of T. C. Maxwell & Bros. 
by the use of eau celeste soap mixture applied late in 
Tuly and in August. | 

In 1895 experiments were conducted by this Station 
to determine the value of eau celeste soap mixture as 
compared with Bordeaux mixture for preventing the 
leaf spot. 

It was planned to make three series of treatments, 
namely: 

Series I. First application just before blossoms open, 

Second application just after blossoms fall. 
Third application from ten to fourteen days 
after the first. 

Series II. First application just after blossoms fall, 

Second application from ten to fourteen days 
after the first. 
Third application about June 15. 
Series III. First application about June 15. 
Second application about July 15. 
Third application about August 15, 


The treatments were made with both mixtures 
according to the plan outlined except that in the se- 
cond application of series III eau celeste was used on 
three trees only because of the injury to the foliage 
which had followed its use earlier in the season. On 
account of the generally healthy appearance of the 
foliage the treatment of series III planned for August 
15 was not given either with Bordeaux mixture or with 
eau celeste. 

From the results of these experiments it appears that: 

I. Bordeaux mixture is perferable to the eau celeste 
soap mixture as a preventive of plum leaf spot. 

2. The good effects which followed the use of the 
eau celeste soap mixture before mid-summer, were 
counterbalanced to a considerable degree by the injury 
which the mixture did to the foliage. 

3. But little of the leaf spot disease was seen in the 
early part of August, even on tunsprayed trees, so that 


4 
no comparison was made ofthe values of the two 
mixtures for August treatment. : a 
4. Bordeaux mixture is preferable to the eau celeste 
soap mixture as a preventive of plum leaf spot, as was 
shown by the results of treatments made in May, June 
and July. 

The first spraying should be made soon after the 
blossoms fall; the second from ten to fourteen days 
later and the third about the middle ofJune. If after 
this treatment the leaf spot becomes abundant 
Bordeaux mixture may be used as late as the middle of 
July after which if treatments are necessary, eau cel- 
este soap mixture may be used as it does not discolor 
the fruit as much as Bordeaux mixture does. 

6. The treatment above outlined may be expected 
to largely prevent the leaf spot disease and also to 
lessen the attacks of fruit rot and black knot. 

The appearance and nature of the leaf spot and the 
manner of conducting the investigations are explained 

‘in the following pages. 


PART II. CHERRY LEAF SPOT AND FRUIT ROT. 


In 1895 experiments were couducted in the cherry 
orchard of W. D. Barns & Son, Middle Hope, N. Y., for 
the purpose of comparing the values of eau celeste soap 
mixture and Bordeaux mixture for preventing the leaf 
spot disease and the fruit rot. 

The plan of the experiments was quite similar to that 
outlined above for treating plum leaf spot. Theresults 
of the investigations may be briefly stated as follows: 

1. On Montmorency trees sprayed with Bordeaux 
mixture May 14, May 29 and June 15, only a slight 
amount of rot was found while on adjacent trees of 
the same variety which were not sprayed from one- 
twentieth to one-fifth of the fruit rotted. 

2. On Montmorency trees sprayed June 15 with 
eau celeste soap mixture, only a slight amount of rot 
was found while on adjacent unsprayed trees from 
one-twentieth to one fifth of the fruit rotted. 

3. From the middle of June till the close of the 
season the unsprayed trees had much more and better 
foliage than did the trees which had been sprayed. 

4. Generally the injury to the leaves was much 
greater on the trees which were sprayed with eau 
celeste than it was on the trees sprayed with Bordeaux 
mixture buton one group of Reine Hortense the 
Bordeaux mixture caused the greater injury. 


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PART I. PLUM LEAF SPOT.* 


INTRODUCTION. 


One of the serious diseases with which the plum-grower has to 
contend is the plum leaf spot also known as the plum leaf blight 
and shot-hole disease which is caused by a fungous parasite. It 
is quite widely distributed in Europe and America not only on 
plum but also on cherry and some other stone fruits. | 

APPEARANCE. In the plum orchard it makes its appearance 
soon after the first leaves are full grown. The leaves begin to 
show little discolored spots, at first about a sixteenth of an inch 
in diameter, with margins often tinged with purple or red. As 
the disease progresses the spots enlarge till they are an eighth of 
an inch or more across. Larger spots may be formed by the 
coalescing of several small ones. The spots soon become dark 
brown with a pale center. The tissues wither and frequently, 
breaking away from the healthy portion of the leaf which sur- 
rounds them, they drop out and leave circular holes in the 
leaf as illustrated in plate I which is reproduced from a photo- 
graph of diseased leaves. The holes thus formed are often as 
clean cut and clearly defined as though they had been made with 
shot and on account of this characteristic the disease is sometimes 
called the shot-hole disease, Inasmuch as another disease 
which attacks apricots, almonds and other stone fruits is popu- 
larly known, especially in California, as the shot-hole disease it 
is better to designate the trouble which we are discussing as the 
leaf spot disease of plum and cherry. The holes which are formed 
in the leaves by this disease are not always circular in form but 
when several spots coalesce into one, or when the disease finds 
extremely favorable conditions for rapid development, large 
patches irregular in shape may drop from the leaf, giving the 
foliage a ragged or worm eaten appearance. 

InJURIOUS Errxects. The infested leaves frequently turn yel- 
low and drop prematurely so that it is not uncommon in August 
to see a large proportion of the new growth leafless, or in case of 
very severe attacks the tree may lose nearly all of its foliage be- 


* Cylindrosporium Padi, Karsten. 


vi 
fore September. Without the help of the foliage it is unable to 
properly ripen its wood and in such instances, especially when it 
has borne a heavy crop of fruit, it goes into the winter in an en- 
feebled;condition and is liable to be severely injured or even killed 
by the winter. The leaves may begin to drop to a considerable 
extent as early as July but usually the loss from dropping is not 
serious before August or September. 

The disease frequently checks the growth of plum and cherry 
nursery stock so much that it is dificult to bud them in August. 
It also interferes with the growth of the budded trees. See 
Annual Report of this Station 1893, 688-693. 

The nature of the leaf spot is such that the disease may pass 
unnoticed or attract little attention unless it causes the leaves to 
drop badly. Should the loss of foliage not exceed five or ten per 
cent., a person unacquainted with the disease would be apt to 
think that the few leaves which dropped from time to time did so 
.as a result of natural process of ripening rather than because they 
were attacked by the leaf spot fungus, and failing to realize the 
danger of serious loss from this trouble he would take no precau- 
tions to prevent the progress of the disease. 

Many fruit growers do not realize as they should how essential 
healthy foliage is to the vigor, longevity and productiveness of 
trees. It is too often the case that a loss of five or ten per cent. 
of the foliage causes little anxiety, yet this means a loss of five or 
ten per cent. in the productive power of the tree. Itisin the 
leaves, or other green portions of the plant, that the compounds 
are formed which are used to sustain life, to support new growth 
of wood, foliage or fruit,and to develop the fruit buds for another 
crop. The roots gather crude food materials from the soil, 
other material is supplied by air and then with the help of sun 
heat and sunlight, in the green portions of the plant these are 
formed into starch, sugar or other compounds which the plant 
may either appropriate for immediate needs or store away for fu- 
ture use. The leaves may properly be called the food factory of 
the tree. Is it not wisdom to protect this factory, so far as prac- 


ticable, from all attacks of insects or diseases, that it may do its. 


work perfectly and so enable the tree to yield an abundance of fruit 
of the highest possible excellence ? 


eae Ko 


ee 


7 


BORDEAUX MIXTURE A PREVENTIVE. Experiments conducted 
at various Experiment Stations during the past few years show 
that the leaf-spot of plums may be controlled by the use of Bor- 
deaux mixture’, and this conclusion has been confirmed in the 
practical experience of many fruit growers. It has also been 
demonstrated that a mixture as weak as one pound of copper 
sulphate for eleven gallons is efficient in controlling the disease 
when properly used.” But the least number of treatments neces- 
sary for controlling the leaf spot and the best time for making 
these applications have not yet been satisfactorily established. 

EXPERIMENTS WITH REMEDIES IN 1895. During 1895 experi- 
ments were conducted by this Station primarily to compare the 
value of Bordeaux mixture with eau celeste soap mixture for 
preventing plum leaf blight. It was expected that these experi- 
ments would also throw some light on the questions as to the 
fewest number of treatments necessary to control the disease and 
the best time for making the applications. 

During the last three years in one of the extensive plum 
orchards of T. C. Maxwell & Bros. of Geneva, eau celeste soap 
mixture has been used with very good results for checking the 
spread of the leaf spot late in summer. For this reason it was 
decided to compare the Bordeaux mixture with the eau celeste 
soap mixture as a remedy for this disease. Previous compari- 
sons of these two fungicides have usually resulted in favor of the 
Bordeaux mixture when considered either with reference to its 
effectiveness against the spread of fungi or with reference to its 
effect on the health of the foliage. Were eau celeste as good a 
fungicide as Bordeaux mixture it would be more desirable. It is 
made by adding ammonia to a solution of copper sulphate, and 


1Thaxter, Roland. Rep. Conn. Sta. 1889: 176, 1890: 102. 
Green, W. J. The Shot-hole Fungus of the Plum. Bull. Ohio Exp. Sta. 


: 1891. II, 4: 216. 


Fairchild, D.G. Plum Leaf Blight. Bull. U. S. Div. Veg. Path. 1894, 
6: 39-40. Jour. Myc. 7: 253-256pl. 2., Rep. N. Y. State Exp. Sta. 1892, 
11: 659-663. Treatment of Plum Leaf Blight in Nursery. Bull. U. S. 
Div. Veg. Path. 1892, 3: 63-64. 

Beach, S. A. Preventing Leaf Blight of Plum and Cherry Nursery Stock. 
Rep. N. Y. State Exp. Sta. 1893 : 688-693. Bull. N. Y. State Exp. Sta. 72. 

2Green, W. J. Bull. Ohio Exp. Sta. 1891: 216. | 

Beach, S. A. Rep. N. Y. State Exp. Sta. 1893: 688-693. 


8 
as it contains no heavy sediment it does not need to be agitated 
and is easier to apply than is Bordeaux mixture. 

The following is the history of the use of eau celeste in the 
plum orchard above referred to, as given by the manager, Mr. 


C. K. Scoon: 


In the summer of 1892 the foliage began dropping from a 
block of Bavay’s Green Gage to an alarming extent. The trees 
had been sprayed twice in the spring with Bordeaux mixture 
although not so thoroughly as they should have been At the 
suggestion of Mr. D. G. Fairchild an Eau Celeste soap mixture 
was tried to see if it would check the trouble. Three applica- 
tions were made, at intervals of about ten days, beginning the 
last of July and extending into August. The immediate result 
was that the spread of the disease seemed to be checked. The 
most marked result was apparent in the fall, when the 
untreated trees dropped nearly all of their foliage before the 
fruit was picked while the sprayed trees retained their leaves till 
late in the season. The following winter was quite severe on 
’ plums and many trees were injured. ‘Those trees which had 
been sprayed and held their leaves late in the fall were injured 
less than those trees which were not sprayed and which lost their 
leaves earlier. | | 

In 1893 the trees were sprayed in the spring with Bordeaux mix- 
ture more thoroughly than they had been in the previous year. 
Two applications of the eau celeste were made, one the latter part 
of July the otherin August. The contrast between the treated and 
untreated trees was not so great as in the previous year, as the 
untreated trees held their foliage well, but in the fall it was 
noticed that the treated trees held their foliage longer than the 
untreated. . 

In 1894 a block of Italian Prune was given treatment similar 
to that which the Bavay’s Green Gage received in 1893 and with 
similar results. 


PLAN OF EXPERIMENTS IN 1895. Messrs. T. C. Maxwell & 
Bros. kindly offered one of their plum orchards for the use of the 
Station in conducting the experiments in 1895. A block of five 
hundred and sixty-seven trees were selected for this purpose. 
The varieties included in this block were Italian Prune, Guii, 
Lombard, Purple Egg and Bavay’s Green Gage, familiarly known 
here as Reine Claude. One-third of the trees of each variety were 
treated with Bordeaux mixture, as explained hereafter, one-third 
were similarly treated with eau celeste soap mixture and one-third 
were left untreated forcomparison. ‘The experiments were there- 

ore complete with each of the varieties named above so that the 


Lombard. | Guii, | Italian Prune. 


8 9 IO IL |12 13 14 15| 1617 18 19 2021 


SERIES III. 


Bavay’s - 
Treatment. jes whl amas t 
| ft23| 45 67 
Section 1. Eau celestesoap ; 
mixture. May I, May 17 3 
| and June I. : 
=| 3 
# ee A es 2 
i 4 
& | Section 2. Bordeaux mix- : 
ture. May 1, May 17 and 5\. 
| June I. ’ 
6} . 
L visa cfs baat c 
Section 3. gs 
No treatment. eee 
9 . 
(On ar ape oA be Seas haa! ae 
| Section 4. Eau celeste soap |!9| - 
mixture. May 17, June 1 
and June 15. II|° “ 
F 12} - 
a 4 inti 
om . . 
8 | Section 5. Bordeaux mix- |!3/]° 
ture. May 17, June I 
| and June I5. Td) ° 
| don 
Section 6. 16) 
No treatment. 17| ° 
18] - 
f re 
Section 7. Eau celestesoap |!9| ° 
mixture. June 15 and to 
trees 19, 20, and 21 of row |2° ° 
I only, July 16. 
21 
{ 9 
| 22 
| Section 8. Bordeaux mix- 
| ture. Juners5andJuly 16. |23) ° 
[ ame 
Section 9. 25}: 
26) . 


No treatment. 


IO 


trees that were sprayed with the Bordeaux mixture may in each 
case be compared with others of the same variety that were 
sprayed with the eau celeste and also with others of the same 
variety that were left unsprayed. The accompanying plan shows 
the location of the varieties with respect to each other and indi- 
cates the treatment of each section. 

This plan included three series of treatments. 

Series I, Consisting of three sprayings. The first spraying 
was made May 1 when the buds were breaking ; the second was 
made May 17, just after blossoming, and the third was made June I. 

Series 7, Consisting also of three sprayings, was begun May 
17, just after blossoming; the second spraying was made June 
1 and the third, June 15. 

Series IJ, It was proposed to make three sprayings in the 
third series, one about June 15 ; the second about July 15, and the 
third about Aug. 15. The first spraying was made June 15, using 
Bordeaux mixture and eau celeste according to the original plan ; 
the second was made July 16 with the Bordeaux mixture but on 
account of the injury which had followed the use of the eau celeste 
soap mixture it was applied at this time to three trees of the Ba- 
vay’s Green Gage only. The proposed third spraying was not 
given either with Bordeaux mixture or with the eau celeste soap 
mixture, on account of the generally healthy condition of the foli- 
age in mid-summer. 

FORMULA). The eau celeste soap mixture which was used in 
these experiments was made according to the formula followed by 
Mr. Scoon in previous years. One pound of copper sulphate was 
dissolved in water and diluted to about forty gallons. A quart of 
26° ammonia was then added and a pound of whale-oil soap dis- 
solved in water. The whole mixture was then diluted to fifty 
gallons. This formula calls for an excess of ammonia. 

The Bordeaux mixture was made by dissolving one pound of 
copper sulphate in about eight gallons of water. Fresh slaked 
lime was then diluted with water and added in excess of the 
amount called for by the potassium ferro-cyanidetest. The whole 
mixture was then diluted to eleven gallons. 

RESULTS. The leaf spot disease was not so abundant in this 
orchard in 1895 as it has been in some previous years so that with 
some of the varieties the effects of the treatment were not so pro- 


a BERS ites te ead 


PLATE I1,—Plum trees defoliated by leaf-spet. 


Bat 


PLATE II].—J/talian Prune unsprayed. 


tth Bordeaux mixture. 


—Ttalian Prune sprayed w 


PLATE IV 


ee ma 


PLATE V.—/talian Prune sprayed with eau celeste, 


LR 


nounced as they undoubtedly would have been had the disease 
been more prevalent. The Italian Prunes suffered most and so 
the experiments with this variety are selected to show the com- 
parative merits of the different treatments. Plate II reproduced 
from a photograph made September 28, 1895, shows in the fore- 
ground an unsprayed Guii tree, still holding a considerable 
amount of itsfoliage. Immediately behind it in the same row are 
seen some unsprayed Italian Prune trees which are nearly leafless. 
This picture illustrates well the general difference between 
unsprayed trees of these two varieties on that date. The leafless 
condition of unsprayed Italian Prunes is still better shown in plate 
III which is also reproduced from a photograph taken Sept. 28, 
1895. These trees had gradually lost their foliage from the attacks 
of the leaf spot disease. A very careful estimate of the injury or 
loss of foliage from all causes, which was made September 28, gave 
the following results: 


SeriesI. Treated | Bordeaux mixture 24 per cent. injury or loss. 
May 1, May 17 and | Eauceleste soap mixture 66 percent. injury or loss. 
June I. _ No treatment 95 per cent. injury or loss. 

Series II. Treated | Bordeaux mixture Io per cent. injury or loss. 
May 17, June 1 and Eau celeste soap mixture 73 per cent. injury or loss. 
June I5. _ No treatment 78 per cent. injury or loss. 


It appears from this table that much better results were secured 
with the Bordeaux mixture than with the eau celeste soap mix- 
ture. This is well illustrated by comparing plate IV with plates 
III and V. Plate IV is from a photograph of Italian Prunes 
which were included in Series II, and sprayed with Bordeaux 
mixture May 17, June i and June 15. Plate V is from a photo- 
graph of corresponding Italian Prune trees which were sprayed on 
the same dates with the eauceleste soap mixture. Plate III is 
from a photograph of corresponding Italian Prune trees which 
were not sprayed atall. All photographs were taken September 
28, 1895. 

Best TIME FOR TREATMENT. As before stated, one of the 
objects of the investigations in 1895 was to discover the fewest 
number of treatments that will be necessary for controlling the 
disease and the best time for making the applications. Theresults 


*12 


of the treatment with Bordeaux mixture according to the plan 
previously explained throw some light on these questions. 

It will be remembered that three series of treatments were 
made. Inseries I the first spraying was given May 17, when 
the buds were breaking ; the second was given just after the trees 
had gone out of blossom ; the third was given June 1. In series 
II the first spraying was made May 17, the second was made 
June 1 andthe third was made June 15. Im series III the first | 
treatment was made June 15, the second was made July 16. The 
estimate of the amount of loss or injury to the foliage from all 
causes, which was made September 28, gave the following results: 


Series I. Treated 


Bordeaux mixture 24 per cent. injury or loss. 
Fare 2 May PT ne No treatment 95 “‘ <3 s “ 
| 

Series II. Treated F re 
May 17, June 1 and Bordeaux mixture «Io per cent. injury or loss. 
June 15. No treatment 78 ae o es 

Series III. Treated : =e . 
June 15 and July Bordeaux mixture 41 per cent, injury or loss. 
16. 


| No treatment 965 Sf 


Judging from these results it is not best to make the first treat- 
ment later than the first of June. Arthur’ has shown that the 
leaf-spot fungus lives over winter in the infested leaves and that 
the spores of the mature form of the fungus begin to ripen about 
the first of June. In the above experiments the best results were 
secured when the foliage was covered with Bordeaux mixture 
before the time when these spores are said to ripen, that is to say, 
before June 1. This confirms the results secured by Thaxter.’ 


* Arthur, J.C. Plum Leaf Fungus. Rep. N. Y. State Exp. Sta. 1887. 
6: 347-350. f. 2. 
2 Thaxter, Roland. Rep. Conn. Sta. 1889: 176. 1890: 102. 

Dr. Thaxter reports an experiment in 1889 in which two Lombard trees 
were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, 1-3% formula, May 22, June 14 and 
July 16. A third tree was left unsprayed for comparison. The two sprayed 
trees held their foliage intact up to severe frost in October, showed hardly 
any black knot and matured a fair amount of fruit. The untreated tree was 
leafless in August, matured no fruit and was badly infested with black knot. 
‘‘The mixture did not adhere to the fruit to any extent, which may account 
for the fact that the fruit rot was not more effectually controlled.” 

In 1890 similar application was made to several large plum trees thereby 
preserving their foliage intact. In another place Bordeaux mixture was 


applied to plums and cherries with similar results while a few untreated 
trees lost their foliage in July. 


13 


BORDEAUX MIXTURE AS A PREVENTIVE OF BLACK KNOT 
AND Fruit Rot —The treatment of plum trees with Bordeaux 
mixture for leaf-spot appeared in Dr. Thaxter’s experiments to 
check the plum black-knot, as it did also in a later experiment by 
Lodeman.* 

In treating peaches for the fungus which causes the ripe-rot of 
the fruit and the blight of the blossoms, Chester? has found that 
four sprayings with Bordeaux mixture, 1 to 7% formula, reduced 
the rot to about one-third of what it was on unsprayed trees. He 
found that with two sprayings there was about twice as much 
rot as with four sprayings and that four sprayings gave about as 


Fic. 1.—Rzige-rot of Plums. 


good results as did six sprayings. Two of the four sprayings 
were made before the blossoms opened ; the third was made two 
weeks after the date of full bloom and the fourth was made 
twelve days after the third. 

The same fungus which causes the fruit rot of peaches also 
causes the ripe rot of plums and in some instances attacks the 
blossoms, giving thema blighted appearance. Figure 1 illustrates 
the appearance of fruit attacked by the fruit-rot fungus. It is 
gratifying to learn that Bordeaux mixture checks to some extent 
the spread of this disease, although as Dr. Thaxter has observed 


tLodeman, E.G. Spraying for Black-knot upon Cherries and Plums. 


Garden and Forest, 7: 508. 
2Chester, F. D. Bull. Del. Station 29: 11. 


in the citation given above, it is not always effective in prevent- 
ing its ravages. 

From these observations we conclude that the treatment which 
has been advocated above as a preventive of plum-leaf spot may 
also be expected to show some beneficial results in lessening the 
prevalence of fruit rot and black knot in the treated orchards. 
Nevertheless it is not expected that spraying will ever do away 
with the necessity of cutting off and burning the knots to prevent 
the spread of plum black-knot, and it will still be advisable to 
remove and burn or bury the rotted and mummified fruit before 
the blossoms open the following spring. 

CoURSE OF TREATMENT Now ADVOCATED. Bearing in mind 
the various objects for which plum orchards are sprayed the fol- 
lowing line of treatment appears to be the best known at present : 

1. In case there is reason to fear an attack of the fruit rot 
fungus on the blossoms spray thoroughly with Bordeaux mixture 
before the blossoms open. 

2. When no attack of the fruit rot fungus on the blossoms is 
feared let the first spraying be made soon after the blossoms fall. 
If Paris green is to be used against the curculio it may be mixed 
with the Bordeaux mixture at this time, using one pound to from 
two hundred and fifty to three hundred gallons of the mixture. 
The second treatment should be made about June 1 and the third 
about June 15. Should this treatment be insufficient to hold the 
disease in check a fourth spraying may be made about July 15. 
Later than this it would be better to use the eau celeste soap 
mixture because it would be less liable to spot the fruit than 
would Bordeaux mixture. 

In conclusion it should be said that thoroughness in spraying 
is essential to success. This has been advocated over and over 
again in former bulletins and reports of this Station and yet pro- 
bably nine-tenths of the readers who have undertaken to spray 
their orchards fail to secure the best results because the work is 
not done thoroughly. It is not necessary to drench the trees but 
the aim should be to completely cover every leaf with fine mist- 
like particles of the spray. To do this it is necessary to have a 
powerful pump and good nozzles. For a more complete discus- 
sion of spraying apparatus and methods of spraying the reader 
is referred to bulletin 74 or the 1894 annual report of this Station. 


PART II. CHERRY LEAF SPOT AND FRUIT ROT. 


The fungus which causes the leaf spot on plum also does great 
damage to the foliage of cherry trees in nursery and in orchard. 
It frequently happens that cherry nursery stock loses so much 
of its foliage from the leaf spot that the growth of the trees is 
checked and budding operations are seriously interfered with. 
In the orchard the loss of foliage, as has already been explained 
in speaking of the plum leaf spot, lessens the power of producing 
good fruit, of forming fruit buds for the next season, and of prop- 
erly ripening the new growth before winter. The disease 
makes its first appearance and afterwards develops in a manner 
quite similar to that described for plums in Part I of this bulletin. 

Cherry nursery stock was treated for the leaf spot at this Station 
in 1891 and 1892 by Fairchild. He concludes that' it may be 
stated conservatively that Bordeaux mixture, 1--10 formula, is a 
specific for this disease, and that it is undoubtedly superior to the 
-ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate for this purpose. 

The treatment of cherry trees of bearing age is reported in two 
or three instances, although in each case but few trees appear to 
have received treatment. Thaxter reports’ that by use of Bordeaux 
mixture, 1 to 324 formula, some cherry trees were protected from 
the leaf spot in 1890 while corresponding trees which were not so 
. treated lost their foliage in July. The time of the applications 
and their number is not definitely stated. 

Craig? reports that in 1894 a much weaker Bordeaux mixture 
than that used by Thaxter, namely, a 1 to 12 formula, was used 
against the fruit rot with good results. A Yellow Spanish tree 
sprayed May 1 with Bordeaux mixture and three times afterwards 
with the same mixture combined with Paris green, yielded ninety 
pounds of sound fruit while a corresponding untreated tree yield- 
ed but thirty pounds. Also, in another orchard, a tree was sprayed 
May 10, May 26 and June 4 with Bordeaux mixture and Paris 


‘Fairchild, D. G. Cherry Leaf Blight, Bull. U. S. Div. Veg. Pathology 
6: 38-39. Report of this Station, 1892, 11: 654-659, pl. 2. 

Thaxter, Roland. Rep. Conn. Sta. 1890: 102. 

>Craig, John. Report Horticulturist, Canada Dept. Agr. 1894: 112. 


16 


green, using one ounce of Paris green and one pound of copper 
sulphate for each twelve gallons of the mixture. July 4 it was 
sprayed with ammoniacal solution of copper carbonate. This 
tree yielded one hundred and thirty pounds of fruit while the cor- 
responding unsprayed tree yielded but seventeen pounds. 


OBJECTS OF TREATMENT. In spraying cherries it is desirable 
to prevent the leaf spot, the fruit rot, the mildew of the leaves, 
and the attacks of the curculio, an insect which causes wormy 
cherries. Some experiments with cherries similar to those de- 
scribed in Part I were planned in 1895 to determine if possible the 
comparative values of Bordeaux mixture and eau celeste soap mix- 
ture as preventives of the fungous troubles just named, but no at- 
tempt was made in these experiments to prevent the attacks of the 
curculio. 

EXPERIMENTS OF 1895. Messrs. W. D. Barns & Son, Middle 
Hope, N. Y., kindly offered their orchard for the purpose of the 
experiments and cordially cooperated in the work. The details of 
the work were under the immediate supervision of Mr. Paddock, 
the Assistant Horticulturist of this Station. 

One hundredand fourteen trees were set apart for theexperiments. 
They included three varieties, namely: Reine Hortense, EKarly 
Richmond and Montmorency. Some of each variety were left 
untreated;for the sake of comparing them with treated trees, some 
were sprayed with Bordeaux mixture and some with the eau 
celeste soap mixture. 

Three series of treatments were planned. The treatments of 
the first series were made May 1, May 14 and May 29. The treat- 
ments of the second series were made May 14, May 29 and June 
15. The first and only treatment of the third series was made 
June 15. The buds were well expanded May 1 when the first 
treatment was made, and the blossoms opened about four days 
later. May 10, just after the blossoms had fallen, the second 
spraying was made. 

A careful examination of the trees June 15 showed that up to 
this time very little leaf spot was present either on sprayed or on 
unsprayed trees. The foliage on trees which had received the 
eau celeste treatment was somewhat spotted but this was probably 
largely due to the injurious effects of the spray. The untreated 
foliage and that treated with Rordeaux mixture appeared at this 
time to be perfectly healthy. 


17 


Two weeks later, June 28, Mr. Barns reported that the trees in 
series I which had received the Bordeaux mixture treatment 
showed a little injury tothe leaves while the injury was bad on 
eau celeste treated trees of series IJ. The trees in series III 
which had received but one treatment with eau cleste already 
showed some injury to the leaves. On this account spraying was 
‘discontinued so that series III did not receive treatment July 15 
and Aug. 15, as was at first planned. 

Fruit Rot CHECKED. So far as the fruit rot is concerned 
rather encouraging results were obtained although comparatively 
few of the trees fruited and even on unsprayed trees the rot was 
not generally abundant. A careful estimate made when the fruit 
was picked showed some advantage from the treatment. Especi- 
ally in one group of trees the amount of rotted fruit was slight 
while on unsprayed trees of the same variety which stood near, 
from one-twentieth to one-fifth of the fruit rotted. In preventing 
the rot, the eau celeste seemed to be as effective as the Bordeaux 
mixture, but generally it injured the foliage much more than 
Bordeaux mixture did. 

FOLIAGE INJURED BY SPRAYING. The results of the treatment 
for the leaf spot are not very encouraging because so much of the 
foliage was injured by the spray. The last spraying was made 
June 15 and from that time till the close of the season the unspray- 
ed trees were generally speaking in better condition than were 
the trees which had been sprayed. 

Asa rule the leaves were hurt much less by the Bordeaux mix- 
ture than by the eau celeste. We were much surprised to find 
an exception to this in the Reine Hortense of series I where the 
leaves were hurt much more by the Bordeaux mixture than they 
were by the eau celeste. | 

CONCLUSION. In view of these results it seems best to make 
no recommendations at present as to the spraying of cherry 
orchards. It isexpected that the investigation of this subject 
will be continued in 1896, and it is hoped that the results of that 
investigation will justify recommending a definite line of 
treatment for cherry leaf spot on bearing trees. 


Pie tii ; 


Fis 
dil 


gee 


2 


\ tation, 


BULLETIN NO. rz. 


MARCH, 1897. 


PREATMENT OF LEAF SPOT--IN “PLUM AND CHERRY 
ORCHARDS IN 1806. 


GRE VAINLY: 


BOARD OF CONTROL. 


GOVERNOR Brack, Albany. 

WILLIAM C. BARRY, Rochester, Monroe County. 
S. H. HAmmonpn, Geneva, Ontario Co. 

MARTIN V. B. IvEs, Potsdam, St.-Lawrence Co. 
A. C. CHASE, Syracuse, Onondaga Co. 

F. O. CHAMBERLAIN, Canandaigua, Ontario Co. 
F. C. ScHRAUB, Lowville, Lewis Co. 

NICHOLAS HALLOCK, Queens, Queens Co. 
LYMAN P. HAvILAND, Camden, Oneida Co. 

G. Howarp Davison, Millbrook, Dutchess Co. 


OFFICERS, OF THE BOARD: 
MARTIN V. B. IVEs, - - President. 
W. O’ HANLON, - - Secretary and Treasurer. 
S. H. HammMonpn, | 
W. C. BARRY, 
F. O. CHAMBERLAIN, 
BAC} ScHRAUB 


Executive Committée. 


SS —-—- 
t 
1 


STATION STAFF. 


W. HH. JORDAN; SC. De Director. 

L. L. VANSLYKE, PH. D., Chemist. 

Wn. P. WHEELER, First Assistant. 
S. Al BRACH. a5. Horticulturist. 
VICTOR WH: LOWe\sB. a Entomologist. 
*F. A. SIRRINE, M. S,, Entomologist. 
"EK; CastewaArt Ms. Mycologist. 


WENDELI, PADDOCK ).Bi bo: 


C:.G. JENTER, PH ACS 
Ay LA KGNISEL Ys NOSE 
Jee Lat Lee eG Baas 
TA” 1D, COORMPRe Cs 
TW. H. ANDREws, B. S., 
Co Pe CloseeBiS2 

Gko. W. CHURCHILL, 


FRANK EH. NEWTON, 


Assistant Horticulturist. 
Assistant Chemist. 
Assistant Chemist. 
Assistant Chemist. 
Assistant Chemist. 
Assistant Chemist. 
Assistant Horticulturist. 
Agriculturist and Sup’t. of 
Labor. 
Clerk and Stenographer. 


Address all correspondence, not to individual members of the 
staff, but to the New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 
STATION, GENEVA, N. Y. 


The Bulletins published by the Station will be sent free ty 
any farmer applying for them. 


*Connected with Branch Station in Second Judicial Dept. 
tConnected with Fertilizer Control, 


BULLETIN NO. 117. 


TREATMENT OF LEAF SPOT IN PLUM AND CHERRY 
ORCHARDS IN 1806. 


S.)A2 BREACH. 


SUMMARY. 


The following report of the work in treating the leaf 
spot disease of plum and cherry in 1896 is intended 
as a sequel to Bulletin 98 which contains an account of 
the work in 1895. 


WORK WITH PLUMS. 


The questions investigated in 1896 were: 

(r.) Can the disease be controlled with two treat- 
ments of Bordeaux mixture 1 to 11? 

(2.) If but two or three treatments are to be made 
when should they be given? 

In the case of Italian Prune, on which variety the 
disease was most prevalent, the best results came from 
three treatments made May 25, June 17 and July rq. 

The experiments indicate that if but two or three 
treatments are made the first should be given during 
the last week of May, or about ten days after the 
blossoms fall, and the second about three weeks later. 

In seasons when the disease is no worse than it was 
in 1896 it may be practically controlled by two spray- 
ings. | . 

These experiments show an average increase in 
the yield of sprayed Italian Prunes of 24 1-2 lbs. pep 
tree at a cost of less than one cent per pound. 


134 
WORK WITH CHERRIES. 

On orchard trees of Montmorency sprayed with Bor- 
deaux mixture May 14, May 29 and June 15, 1895, only 
a slight amount of rot was found, while on adjacent 
trees of the same variety which were not sprayed, 
from one-twentieth to one-fifth of the fruit rotted. 

On orchard trees of Montmorency sprayed June 15, 
1895, with eau celeste soap mixture, only a slight 
amount of rot was found, while on adjacent unsprayed 
trees from one-twentieth to one-fifth of the fruit rotted. 

From the middle of June, 1895, till the close of the 
season the unsprayed trees had much more and better 
foliage than did the trees which had been sprayed. 

Generally the injury to the leaves in 1895 was much 
greater on the trees which were sprayed with eau 
celeste than it was on the trees sprayed with Bor- 
deaux mixture but on one group of Reine Hortense 
the Bordeaux mixture caused the greater injury. 

No injury to the leaves resulted from spraying 
orchard trees with Bordeaux mixture in 1896, even 
when they were drenched with it. 

Bordeaux mixture applied as late as May 25 is liable 
to show on the fruit when it is ripe and injure its ap- 
pearance. 7 


BOS. 
INTRODUCTION. 


The leaf spot disease of plum and cherry was less destructive 
in New York orchards in 1896 than it has been in some former 
years, yet in some instances it did considerable damage to certain 
kinds of plums. Instances were also reported in which cherry 
trees lost a good deal of foliage by it, but usually _ they were 
troubled but little. 

The character and appearance of this disease. are - explained 1 in 
Bulletin 98 which contains an account of the investigations. in 
treating it which were made by this station in 189 5: AS there 
stated, the objects of the investigations were : 

1. Tocompare Bordeaux mixture with eau celeste soap ” “mnix- 
ture for preventing the disease on bearing trees. 

2. To learn what is the fewest number of treatments’ by which 
the disease may be controlled and the best time for making them. 

The results of the experiments with plums will first be’ ‘con- 
sidered. 


TREATMENT OF THE DISEASE ON BEARING PLUM TREES. 


The investigations in 1895 showed that while the treatment 
with the eau celeste checked the disease it injured the foliage. 
The treatment with Bordeaux mixture did just as much good, or 
even more, in checking the disease, and it did not hurt the foliage. 
There was no good chance to compare these two remedies in Au- 
gust, either in 1895 or 1896, as the trees did not show enough 
injury early in August to permit of a satisfactory comparison of 
the two remedies. In the latter part of August and in September 
and October the good effects of the early spraying which was done 
in May and June showed very plainly. It seems probable that if 
the early treatments are thoroughly, made there will be little need 
of spraying in August. Should August treatment be found neces- 
sary eau celeste might be preferable because it is less liable to show 
on the ripe fruit, but we arenot prepared to say that itis preferable. 

The Bordeaux mixture was so much superior to the eau celeste 
in the trials which were made in 1895 that no experiments in 
comparing the two mixtures for early treatment were made in 1896. 


.136 


The investigations as to the fewest number of treatments with 
Bordeaux mixture, 1 to 11,* necessary to control the leaf spot on 
bearing plum trees and the best time for making them, were con- 
tinued in 1896 in the same orchard of T. C. Maxwell & Bros. 
which was kindly offered to the Station for this purpose in 1895. 
The treatment gave marked results, especially with Italian Prune, 
and to a large extent confirmed the results of the work in 1895. 
The weak Bordeaux mixture, I to 11, again proved entirely satis- 
factory and it is confidently recommended for treating plum leaf 
spot. 

Plan of the work in 1896. Four series of treatments were 
compared, namely : 

Series 1. Italian Prune, Guilt and Lombard were: sprayed May 
14, June 3 and June 17. The first treatment, May 14, was given 
soon after the blossoms fell. 

Series 2. Italian Prune, Guii and Lombard were sprayed May: 
25 and June 24. 


Series 3. Italian Prune and Lombard were sprayed May 25, 
June 17 and July 14. ‘Guii was not included in this series for it 
ripened its fruit in August and the last application July 14 would 
be liable to show on the ripe fruit. 

Series 4. Guti sprayed May 25 and June 17. 

One hundred and sixty-eight trees were included in these exper- 
iments, so it appears that the tests were sufficiently extended to 
insure reliable results. 


Results. Through the early part of the season the trees, 
whether sprayed or not, showed but little of the leaf spot. Later 
the disease became more noticeable, especially on the Italian Prune. 
With this variety the trees in series 2 showed a little more injury 
than corresponding trees in series 1 and 3 but were far Superior to 
the unsprayed trees. 

As early as August 12 the ground under many of the unsprayed 
Italian Prune was thickly strewn with fallen leaves and in conse- 
quence of this loss of foliage the fruit was prematurely ripening 
and dropping. At this time the unsprayed Guii trees had lost 


*The 1 to 11 formula for Bordeaux mixture requires one pound sulphate 
of copper to make eleven gallons of the mixture. 


137 


some leaves but unsprayed Lombard were in nearly as good con- 
dition as the sprayed Lombard. 

Octobei 3rd a careful estimate of the amount of loss or injury 
to teliage was made from which the following summary is derived. 


AMOUNT OF _ INJURY, 


; | +] 
Italian» Prune, Lombard. Guil, 


Seriest. Treated May14, 1% to 5%. Average | about 10% | about 6% 


June.3 andjune pz)... about 3% 
POLE APO 2s). ee ea 50% togo% about 10% | about 15% 
Series2. Treated May 25, 

and June 2A ep vorsevea PuAverage about.6% about 3% | about 10% 
PoP STO ALEC ts «coats vies 50% to 90% about 25% | about 15% 
Series 3. Treated May 25, | 

June 17 and July 14.... Average about2% | about 5% 
Oe Cleate dy. it vont: 50% to 90% about 10% 
Series 4. Treated May ¥25 

SPOS UNIVE Tate sa hos Os | about 3% 


Not treated. .... LA Sista | | | about 15% 


An examination of this table shows that in the case of Italian 
Prune the best results came from the three treatments given in 
series 3, namely May 25, June 17 and July 14. The experiments 
of 1895 showed that when no more than three sprayings are given 
during the season it is not best to begin before the trees blossom 
but rather make the first spraying after the blossoms fall. The 
experiments of 1896 indicate that it is better to put off the first 
treatment till the last week of May, or till about ten days after the 
blossoms fall. 

. The attempts to control the disease with two treatments which 
were tried in 1895 and 1896 show that when the disease is no 
worse than it was in those years it may be practically controlled 
by two treatments; but it is hardly safe to recommend this plan 
unqualifiedly till it has stood the test of a season when the attacks 
of the leaf spot fungus are unusually severe. 


138 


In view of the results of the investigations of 1895-6, the follow- 
ing line of treatment is confidently recommended instead of that 
which was suggested on page 14 of Bulletin 98. 


Course of treatment recommended for plum leaf 
spot. When but two treatments are to be made during the sea- 
son let the first be given about ten days after the blossoms fall, 
that is, usually about May 25. It should not be made later than 
June 1. Make the second treatment about three weeks after the 
first. Better results may be expected from three treatments and 
three treatments are especially recommended in seasons when the 
disease is very abundant. Make them as follows: 

First, about ten days after the blossoms fall. 

Second, about three weeks after the first. 

Third, from three to four weeks after the second. 


‘ YIELD OF FRUIT INCREASED BY SPRAYING FOR THE PLUM 
LEAF SPOT. 


Aside from the results bearing directly on the questions under 
investigation in 1895 and 1896 the experiments in treating plums 
for the leaf spot brought out some very important and definite in- 
formation as to the influence of such treatinent on the yield of trees 
which are subject to the attacks of this disease. It has already 
been said that the iujury from the leaf spot was especially severe 
on the Italian Prune, sometimes called Fellemburg, a variety 
which usually begins to ripen here the first week of September. 
Of the trees of Italian Prune which were under experiment in 
-1896, see page 136, 48 were sprayed and 24 were left unsprayed. 
As early as August 12 the ground under many of the unsprayed 
trees was thickly strewn with fallen leaves and consequently the 
fruit was ripening and dropping prematurely, while under the 
sprayed trees but very little fallen leaves or fruit was to to be seen. 
The amount of fallen fruit and leaves was sv much greater under 
the unsprayed trees that by looking at the ground one could easily 
tell which trees had not been sprayed. 

Because the treated trees held their foliage much better, their 
fruit ripened later and on the whole averaged larger than the fruit 
on the unsprayed trees. Remembering that the later fruit, asa 


139 


tule, brings better prices it is at once apparent that the increased 
yield.in this case does not fully represent the increase in receipts 
The tollowing 
is a statement of the picked fruit, drops and waste from these trees 
and the date of picking... The yield is measured both by 9g Ib. 
baskets and by pounds except for the waste. 


from sprayed as compared with unsprayed trees. 


48 SPRAYED TREES. 
Date Grade. Baskets. Pounds. eoreeee 

Sept. 0: Picked. 369 3374 9.14 
bin OL Bh sf 48 436 9.0% 
_ Drops. Ly 181 10.65 | 

‘Waste. 110 —- 

24  UNSPRAYED TREES. 

AU 25 0% Picked. 104 897 8.63 

Beyiniz. e: Ag | 36. 427 11.86 

Drops. 12 84 7.00 

Waste. I 290 — 


The amount and character of the average yield per tree is as 
follows: 


AVERAGE YIELD PER TREE. 


Sprayed. _ NotSprayed. . 
. Baskets Pounds. Per cent || Baskets. Pounds. | Per cent 
Picked Fruit...|; 8.69 79-38 | 93 5-83 55.17 78 
Daropsnatt. iv: 35 3-77 Ap citthenry 50 3.50 5 
Wiasicouesc. as: TRE 2.29 3 noaigag. 12.08 17 
| 
Total: Marketable 9.04 82.15 97 6.33 58.67 83 


t40 


From these tecords it appears that where the trees were sptayed 
the average yield per tree of picked fruit was increased 44 per 
cent., the marketable drops increased 8 per cent. and the waste 
decreased 81 per cent. The total yield of marketable fruit as re- 
corded in pounds was 45 per cent. greater where the trees were 
sprayed than where they were not sprayed. The extra cost of 
picking, packing, and hauling to market would be, in this case, 
13 cents. With the apparatus used by Messrs. Maxwell & Bros, 
the cost of spraying would be 8 cents per tree, counting the appli- 
cations which were actually made, i. e., two applications for six- 
teen trees and three applications for thirty-two trees. Thus the 
extra expense of securing and putting on the market an increased 
yield per tree of 24.48 lbs. of fruit was only 21 cents. So it appears 
that spraying for leaf spot in this instance secured-an average 
increase of 244 pounds of marketable fruit per tree at a cost of less 
. than one cent per pound. 


TREATMENT OF THE DISEASE ON BEARING CHERRY TREES. 


The experiments which have been tried by this station during 
the last two years for preventing the leaf spot on bearing cherry 
trees have not met with very encouraging results. It was stated 
in Bulletin 98 that in 1895 the treatment injured the foliage. 
Generally speaking the eau celeste treatment caused more injury 
than did the Bordeaux mixture although there was one exception 
to this in which Reine Hortense was more injured by the Bordeaux 
mixture than by the eau celeste. 

The work was continued in 1896 for the purpose of learning 
whether heavy applications of Bordeaux mixture were more apt to 
harm cherry leaves than light ones, and also for the purpose of 
determining the fewest number of treatments necessary to control 
the leaf spot on bearing cherry trees and when they should’ be 
made. Mr. C. K. Scoon, Geneva, N. Y., kindly offered the use 
of his orchard for this work. One hundred and fifty-five trees 
were included in the experiment; part of them English Morello, 
and part Montmorency Ordinaire. 

But little leaf spot was seen, even on the unsprayed trees, 
so that but little difference could be seen between treated 
and untreated trees. In October a few of the latter showed more 


I4I 


yellow and fallen leaves than did sprayed trees which stood near 
by but there was not enough difference to support any conclusions 
as to the merits of the different methods of treatment. 


Foliage not hurt by spraying. Contrary to the experience 
of 1895 no injury to the foliage followed the use of Bordeaux mix- 
ture in 1896, even when the leaves were literally drenched with 
it. It is difficult to find any theory which offers a satisfactory ex- 
planation for the harmful effect of the Bordeaux mixture on the 
cherry foliage in 1895. It is the only instance in our experience 
in which cherry leaves have been injured by spraying with Bor. 
deaux mixture. 

Fruit spotted bythe spray. In 1896 the first treatment was 
given May 14 soon after the blossoms fell. The following treat- 
ment was made in one instance May 25, in another May 29 and 
in a third, June 3. In all cases the fruit still showed the spots of 
Bordeaux mixture when it ripened nearly two months later al- 
though considerable rain had fallen in the meantime, 

The results of these tests do not give conclusive evidence as to 
the best way to treat the leaf spot on”bearing cherry trees and no 
definite line of treatment can as yet be recommended. 


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FALL oF 1898 SPRING oF 1899 


Annual Price List ano Catalogue 


of the 


Lastern Shore Purseries 


DENTON, Caroline County, TMIARYLAND. 


J. W. KERR, Proprietor. | 


Express, Telegraph and Money Order Office,--DENTON. | 


CERTIFICATE OF NURSERY INSPECTION. 


No. 56. ee 


To Wibom it May Concern: | 


THIS 4S TO CERTIFY, That on the rst day of September, 1898 we exam- 
ined the Nursery Stock of J. W. Kerr, growing in his nurseriesat Denton, County 
of Caroline, State of Maryland, in Accordance with the laws of Maryland, 1898, 
| Chapter 289, Section 58, and that said nurseries and premises are apparently free, 
so far as can be determined by inspection, from the San Jose Scale, Peach Yellows, 
Pear Blight and other dangerously injurious insect pests and plant diseases. 

This certificate is invalid after August 1st, 1899, and does not include nursery 
| stceck not grown within this State unless such stock is previously covered by certifi- 
cate and accepted by the state Antomologist and State Pathologist. 


WILLIS G. JOHNSON, 


STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 


College Park, Md., CHARLES O. TOWNSEND, 


Sept., 7, 1898. STATE PATHOLOGIST. 


= eo a. 
SOLENT TE FLD (ELTA AN TURES TT A, 


TERMS: Cash, or satisfactory acceptance. 


Fall deliveries begin about October 25th, and continue until freez- 
ing weather sets in—usually from December 10th to 25th. 


Spring deliveries begin about the middle of February—owing to 
weather, and close during first half of April. 


Distant customers are requested to state plainly, the route by which 
they wish their orders shipped. 


Packing is thoroughly done, either in bales or boxes, the cost of 
material used in either case is added to bill. 


No charge for delivery of goods to Steamboat wharf or Railroad 
station, after which they are at the risk of the purchaser. 


FUMIGATION. 


Under recent enactments by the Maryland Legislature, no trees can 
be shipped out of the state, unless fumigated with Hydrocyanic acid gas, 
under direction of the State Entomologist. My customers will have the 


benefit of this law, good or otherwise; fumigation is imperative. 


SALUTATION. 


To old customers—hearty greeting. 
To new ones—a cordial welcome. 


Every person receiving a copy of this Catalogue, is invited to look it over care- 
fully. The descriptions are conservative and fair representations of the fruits as 
they appear here in my own orchards, which are established on experimental, 
rather than modern commercial principles. Hundreds of varieties are given place 
simply to determine their value. This is the only sure means of settling this 
important point. Recommendations based on ‘‘ hearsay,’’—or upon the behavior 
of a variety in distant localities, cannot be relied upon. Some varieties adapt 
themselves to different soils and localities much better than others, but all kinds 
of fruits succeed deter in some soils and situations than they doin others. It is 
very important, when planting to know something about the peculiarities and 
adaptability of kinds. Nospecial ‘‘system’’ of propagation,—no superiority of 
‘“stocks ’’ upon which the trees may be grown,—will compensate for, or mitigate 
results, of an injudicious selection of varieties. 3 


Cheap Nursery Stock. 


I have no ‘‘ Five Cent Counter’’ or ‘‘Junk Shop’”’ department,—no desire to 
compete with ‘tree huxters’’ that can supply azy thing, as long as their supply of 
blank labels last,—no intention to jeopardize accuracy and rational methods, by 
quoting prices below those of other honorable houses,—no disposition to indulge 
in ‘‘ Flash and Tinsel’’ description, to catch the custom of the credulous. The 
system of propagating and cultivating employed, is such as long experience in 
these lines, emphasizes as the best. To grow healthy trees and plants, that are 
reliably pure and genuine as to variety, is attended with expense; such too, as 
must be met with the cash. The planter that buys trees and plants simply because 
they are low in price, is sowing sound seeds of disappointment, that are sure to 
yield him a full crop; and not infrequently the return is very prompt. 


Too Many Acres. 


If three fourths of the people engaged in fruit growing were to grub up, and 
burn one half of their present acreage in fruit, and concentrate the labor, care and 
manures zow used, to what would be left after grubbing out as above, they would 
make more money, and do a world of good to the fruit interests generally. Disease 
and insect enemies could be more readily and promptly eradicated, cultivation 
could be more thorough, and in the aggregate the yield would be larger, and much 
superior in quality. ‘‘Scrub’’ live stock is unprofitable, but no moreso than 
‘‘Scrub Orchards.’’ Plant the best ; care for them in all respects the best; ship 
the best, in the best manner in the best packages, and the best prices is assured. 
Better have one acre of fine fruit than ten acres of inferior,—better ove good 
healthy tree, than a dozen half fed, consumptives. It had better be accepted as an 
ironclad fact by a// growing fruits for market, that improvement in every delatl, as 
is now generally practiced, is indispensable to success. 


bo 


J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


Why Nursery Men Have so Many Varieties. 


Locality and soil are great factors in determining the value of all fruits. 
Demands and tastes differ widely in the various City markets. Fruit growers with 
good business sense, grow what they cart sell to the best advantage and profit, and 
cater to the demands of the market. While yellow peaches sell best at one place, 
white ones are most popular in another, and so it occurs that a large number of 
varieties are required by nurserymen to fill the wants of their customers in differ- 
ent places. More thana thousand varieties of different kinds of fruit are on trial 
and under care on my own grounds. Annually the collection is enlarged more or 
less, by gathering in the reputed.improvements in various lines, while at the same 
time, varieties that fair trial proved unsuited and unprofitable are ‘‘ weeded out’”’ 
and discarded, without ever having reached a place in my Catalogue. Too many 
varieties, impair the value of commercial or market orchards, too few, is also 
injudicious. 

Specialties. 


The strongest and best efforts of nurserymen at the present day, are directed 
to one or two particular kinds of stock. One establishment gives special attention 
to the propagation of pear trees, another peach, another apple, etc., etc. My 
specialty is 

Native Plums. 


The great interest in this fruit throughout the country, is such as makes it 
difficult to keep fully abreast with its rapid improvement. My ‘‘ Experimental 
Orchards ’’ embrace nearly three hundred varieties of the different native groups, 
—increased every year by new introductions. Some of these newer varieties, that 
are just getting into bearing here, give strong evidence of superior merit. The 
botanical classification and arranging into groups, is still receiving the earnest and 
efficient attention of Prof. KF. A. Waugh, of Vermont, whose study of this branch 
covers a much broader field, than has elsewhere been attempted. | Associating the 
scientific with the practical—making the onecorroborate and agree with the other, 
confers special value upon the pains taking and extended labors of Prof. Waugh, 
and rivets upon him the responsibility of leadership, and invests him with the 
enviable distinction of the 33rd degree ‘‘ Plum Crank.”’ 

Another very sedulous and capable member of the scientific branch of ‘‘ The 
Fraternity,’’ is Prof. E. S. Goff, of Wisconsin, whose Bulletin No. 63 on ‘The 
Culture of Native Plums in the North-West’ is a very valuable contribution to the 
literature on this Subject, and has a much more extended application. for useful- 
ness than its modest title indicates. 


Most Profitable Varieties. 


A question that comes to me oftener than any other, is :—‘‘ Which do you con- 
sider the most profitable varieties for market?’’ The answer to this is always gov- ~ 
erned by the locality whence it comes, as the same varieties are not adapted to all 
localities. The endeavor to prevent disappointment by recommending different 
kinds to different people in different localities, does not seem to be fully under- 
stood by all of my patrons. In order to be explicit on this point, there is not 
exceeding half-a-dozen kinds in allof the Americana group that I would com- 
mend for market orchards anywhere in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Del- 
aware, or farther South, while in Ohio and Westward, this group is the most 
valuable. The Nigra group for the severest climates of the North-west, and New 
England States, is much more satisfactory than in the Middle Atlantic, where the 
greatest profit will be found in the best varieties of the Wildgoose group, supple- 
mented toa limited extent by the Miner, Wayland and Chickasaw group. Farther 
South, the Chickasaws deservedly receive more attention. 


Pollination. 


Scientific investigation and experiment in this field by Prof. Waugh, has con- 
clusively demonstrated that all varieties of Native plums are practically self-sterile. 
In the Americana, Nigra, Miner, Wayland, and Chickasaw group, almost any two 
varieties blooming at same time, are reciprocally effective, when near enough to 


KASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 3 


—_— —- = 


each other—within twenty to forty feet. The ‘‘ Blossom Chart’’ as given in last 
year’s Catalogue, furnishes all the information required for the satisfactory polli- 
nation of these groups. Not so with the Wildgoose group however. It must be 
remembered that this group itself is the child of hybridity. There is greater 
variability or difference, in time of blooming of its varieties; while its mongrel 
character is more conspicuous and emphatic, inthe functions of its blossoms, than 
in the fruit; hence, more care is essential in selecting and planting these, than 
any of the others. A full measure of success would not follow the planting of 
Milton, Whitaker and Wildgoose together, but add Smiley (of the same group) and 
complete pollination of all, will result. The Sophie being a trifle later in bloom- 
ing, insures pollination of the later opening blossoms of these kinds—fully one half 
of them, and invariably sufficient to make a good crop. Newman—a Chickasaw— 
serves effectively in pollenizing most.of the Wildgoose group, but the Smiley and 
Sophie are preferable. There are other kinds in this group, such as Clifford, 
Drouth King, El Paso, Kroh, Macedonia, Ohio Prolific, Osage and ‘‘ Thousand and 
One,’’ that pollinate fully, the Milton, Whitaker, Wildgoose, Roulette, Charles 
Downing, Choptank, Dunlap, etc., but not one of the group has proven efficacious 
with the Sophie. In an experiment with twenty different varieties of the Ameri- 
canas, the Sophie proved a complete pollinator for all; but not a single one of 
these kinds, would iu turn pollinate the Sophie. The only comp/ete pollinator for 
it, that Iam fully certain of, is a seedling, from the same lot of seed, out of which 
the Sophie itself was produced, though I have some reason to believe that the 
Cluck,—a late blooming Chickasaw, and a very fine one, will satisfactorily meet 
the case. 


Profitable Market Varieties. 


The kinds that succeed best with me, and yield the best returns, embrace the 
following, viz.:—AMERICANAS.—Stoddard, American Eagle, Gaylord, Louisa, Kieth, 
Purple Yosemite. MINER GRoup.—Prairie Flower, Wilder, Wier’s Large Red, 
Idall, Maquoketa and Wier’s No. 50. WAYLAND GRoup.—Reed, Wayland, More- 
man, Cumberland, Golden Beauty, Benson and Moreman Cherry. WILDGOOSE 
Group.—Milton, Whitaker, Dunlap, Smiley, Roulette, Wildgoose and Sophie. 
CHICKASAW GROUP.—Munson, Coletta, Cluck, Yellow Transparent, Lone Star and 
Newman. Of course there are many other varieties that are profitable; especially 
so in the Americana and Wildgoose Group, and in addition to this, many newer 
varieties have not been in bearing a suffiaient length of time to fully establish their 
value. A few years more trial, may greatly change this list. 


PRICES FOR PLUM TREES ON PLU!1 STOCKS. 


My stock for coming Fall and Spring, besides being exceptionally clean, vigor- 
ous and healthy, free from all taint of disease, and injurious insects, embraces the 
largest and most complete collection of varieties in America. No pains spared to 
have evety variety strictly and reliably genuine and true to name. . 


To get the benefit of the hundred rates, there must be not less than fifty trees 
of a kind, as it requires too much time and trouble, to collect together ten kinds 
of ten trees each at the rates quoted per hundred. Where but ten trees of a kind 
are ordered, dozen rates are charged ; and where less than six trees of a kind are 
ordered the price per single tree 1s charged. 

Where trees are quoted at fifty cents each, the price per dozen is $5.00—3 to 4 
feet, and up. None under three feet, but many will run over four feet. 


Varieties quoted at 25 ceuts each are $2.50 per dozen, and $15 per 100. Trees 
2 to 8 feet, $1.50 per dozen—$10 per 10). 

The following varieties, ROOT GRAFTFD on peach, viz.:—Milton, Whitaker, 
Smiley, Wildgoose and Newman, 3 to 4 feet and up, 15 cents each, $1.40 per. doz., 
¢10 per 100. Trees.propagated in this way, are greatly superior to such as are 
budded on peach, three or four inches above ground. When properly root-grafted 
such plum trees are, in a few years almost wholly on their own roots. 


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EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 5 


PLUMS. _ 


The Americana Group. 


The arrangement of groups, as given in this Catalogue, and the classification 
is strictly in accord with the most recent investigations of Prof. Waugh, whose 
studies and work in this field, make him the leading authority on the subject. 


Aitkin. Found growing wild in Minnesota; described as large and fine every way. 
Not bearing here yet. 50 cents each. 

American Eagle. Very large; dark purplish red when fully ripe; roundish ob- 
long. Season, early here (from July 25th to Aug. 5th and later); one of the 
best, in both tree and fruit. 25 cents. 

Apricot. Large, nearly covered with red on yellow ground; globular; cling. 
Aug. 5th to 10th and later. Ratherashy bearer here. 25 cents. 

Bender. This variety still maintains its great vigor, with its admirable large 
healthy foliage. It should have fruited here this year, but it with many 
others, was caught by an extremely unfavorable spell of weather when in 
full bloom, which delays for another year at least, a description from the or- 

chard. 50 cents. | 

Bixby. Large; red on orange; roundish, slightly flattened at the ends some- 
times ; cling. Aug.1to10. A handsome plum of good quality. 25 cents. 

Black Hawk. Very large; purplish red; freestone. Aug. 5 to 15th and latter; 

tree vigorous and healthy. 650 cents each. 

Brittlewood No. 1. Grown by Mr. Williams of Neb. who believes it and 

Brittlewood No. 3, to be the largest in size of any of the Americanas, and ‘‘ almost 
identical in tree and fruit, No. 1a week later than No. 8, same parentage, 
with pollen reversed.’’ Not fruiting here yet, but the trees are models in 
vigor, and large, heavy foliage. $1.00 each, 

California. (California Seedling.) Large; cherry red; roundish; cling. Aug. 
10 to 15 and later, tree vigorous and productive. 25 cents. 

Carver. Large; mottled red; cling. Aug. 20 to Sept. 10. A longer period in 
ripening than many others, trees moderately vigorous, productive. 25 cents. 

Champion. Very large; dark red; round, inclining to oblong; cling. Aug. 20 
to 30. This variety twig blights considerable here. 25 cents. 

Cherokee. Medium to large; mottled red; cling. Aug. 15 to 25. Tree lacks 
vigor. - 25 cents. 

Colorado Queen. Above medium to large; purplish red when fully ripe ; cling. 
Aug. 5 to 20. Tree upright, vigorous and fairly productive. 25 cents. 
Comfort. Medium to large; roundish, slightly flattened ends; purplish red ; 
cling. Aug. 5to15. Tree inclined to overbear, and fruit cracks badly here. 

25 cents. 

Comptine. Small; globular; dull purplish red; cling. Aug. 5to15. Very pro- 
ductive. 25 cents. 

Cottrell. Large; purplish red on yellow; cling. Aug.5to15. A fine plum, but 
not a heavy bearer. 25 cents. 

Dahlgreen. Large; oblong; mottled red; freestone. Aug. 10 to 20. Tree vig- 
orous, productive. 25 cents, . 

Dakota. Introduced by D. Brandt of Ohio, in 1894 and 1895, who gave it unstinted 
praise at the time. Here itis quite ordinary asto merit. Medium size; 

- globular ; mottled with dull purplish red, on yellow ground; cling. Aug. 1 
to 15, cracks, and rots. ‘Tree dwarfish in habit. 25 cents. 

Deep Creek. Medium ; oblong; purplish red; partially free. Aug. 10 to 25. 
25 cents. 


9 


QUAHE R 


LONE STAR 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 7 


AMERICANA GROUP, (Continued.) 


Des Moines. Medium to large; purplish red on yellow; globular; cling. Aug. 
10 to 25, succeeds well here, good in both tree and fruit. 25 cents. 

De Soto. Large; purplish red; cling. Aug.5 to 20. Tree does not succeed 
here. 265 cents. 

Dr. Dennis. Large; slightly oblong; purplish red; cling. Aug.5to15. Tree 
lacks vigor. 25 cents. 

Dunlaps No. 1. Above medium size; slightly oblong; red; freestone. Aug. 25 
to Sept. 15. Tree vigorous, productive. 25 cents. 

Eldora. Has not fruited on my grounds. The tree isa strong grower, good 
foliage. 25 cents. 

Etta. Originated by H. A. Terry of Iowa, who describes it as follows: ‘‘ Large ; 
bright yellow overspread with bright red, fine quality, a beautiful variety. 
Tree a fine grower and productive.’’ $1.00 each. 

Forest Garden. large; purplish red on orange, globular; cling. Aug. 5 to 10. 
25 cents. 

Galena. Large; purplish red; oblong; cling. Aug. 15 to 25, succeeds fairly well 
here. 25 cents. 

Gales No. 3. This is not in bearing here yet; it may be the same as “‘ Gale Seed- 
ling,’’ described by Prof. Goff, in his Plum Bulletin No. 63, as too soft for 
market. 26 cents. 

Gaylord. Large; oblong; light purplish red; semi-cling. Aug.1 to10. Tree 
compact, drooping in habit. One of the best and most profitable with me, 
very productive. 265 cents. 

Gold. Large; oblong; golden yellow, faintly blushed with light red, cling. Aug. 
15 to 25. This is an Iowa variety, and antedates in use of name by several 
years, the Japan variety introduced under same name. 25 cents. 

Grayson. Not fruiting here yet; described as ‘‘ Large; round; bright crimson.” 
25 cents. 7 

Haag. Large; dark dull red; round to round oblong, cling. Aug. 1to15. New 
promising. 50 cents. 

Hammer. Originated with H. A. Terry, Ia. Medium to large; globular ; mottled 
red on yellow; cling. Aug. 20 to 30. 25 cents. 

Hanson. Medium to large; round; red; cling. Early and very productive. 
25 cents. 

Hartwick. ‘This variety—though several years planted—has thus far failed to 
ripen any fruit; trees injured every winter from some cause. 25 cents. 

Hawkeye. Grown from seed of Quaker, by H. A. Terry. Large; round oblong ; 
unevenly covered with purplish red; cling. Aug. 5to 15. Not a success 
here, in either tree or fruit. 25 cents. 

Heaton. Medium to large; oblong oval; dark purplish red; cling. July 20 to 25 
and later. 25 cents 

Hiawatha. Very large; roundish oblong; purplish red; cling. Aug. 10 to 20. 
Tree very vigorous, with large distinct foliage. 25 cents. 

Hil! Top. Large; round oblong; purplish red; cling. Aug. 10 to 25. Tree 
sprawling in habit, quite productive. 25 cents. 

Holt. Large; globular; yellow ground, covered over with light pinkish red; 
cling. Aug. 10 to 20. Originated in Ohio. Tree vigorous, spreading, very 
productive. 50 cents. 

Honey. Medium to large; round oblong; purplish red; cling. Aug. 1 to 15. 
Shy bearer. 25 cents. 

Hunt. This variety has not fruited here yet. Foliage as it grows here is straight 
Americana. 25 cents. 

Ida. Small to medium; roundish, sometimes slightly pointed ; purplish red with 
small spots of sepia. Aug. 10 to 20. 25 cents. 


CHEROKEE 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 9 


AMERICANA GROUP, (Continued.) 


Iona. Medium to large; round oblong; red on yellow; cling. Aug. 20 to 30. 
Tree upright and vigorous. 265 cents. 

Iowa. Has not fruited here. 25 cents. 

Iowa Beauty. Not fruited yet. 25 cents. 

Irene. Medium to large; globular; coppery red; cling. Aug. 25 to Sept. 10. 
Tree vigorous upright. 25 cents. 

Ironclad. (Ill. Ironclad.) Large; round oblong; purplish red; cling. Aug. 5 to 
15. A-sure bearer. 25 cents. 

Isaac. Not in bearing here; described as ‘‘Small; green; very late.’’ 25 cents. 

Isabella, Originated by Mr. Terry of Ia., who describes it thus:—‘‘ Medium to 
large; round asa shot; dark red; on yellow ground; good quality. Tree 
rather low and spreading.’’ New. $1.00 each. ; 

Ivason. From Iowa. ‘‘Astong growing tree; fruit looks and tastes much like 
Wyant, but is distinct and larger ’’—says Mr. Hubbell of Ohio. 25 cents. 

Joe Hooker. Medium and slightly above ; round-oblong; red; cling. Aug. 20 
to 30. Tree.quite disticnt in habit and foliage, quite productive. 25 cents. 

Jones. Medium to large; round-oblong; mottled red on yellow; cling. Aug. 
15 to 30, productive. 25 cents. 

Jone’s Late. Large; oblong-oval ; red; firm; cling. Aug. 20 to 30. Tree vig- 
orous, upright, productive. 25 cents. 

Kampeska. Medium size and above; globular; purplish red; cling. Aug. 5 to 
15, of little value here. 25 cents. 

Kickapoo. Medium to large; oblong; mottled red; cling. Aug.5to 15. Pro- 
ductive, good. 25 cents. 

Kieth. Large to very large; round to round-oblong ; red on orange; cling. Aug. 
10 to 20, One of the largest and finest of the group. 40 cents. 

Knudson’s Peach. Not fruiting here yet. 25 cents. 

Kopp. Large; round; purplish; cling. Aug. 10 to 15. Tree vigorous, spread- 
ing. 25 cents. 

Labert’s Red. Not fruiting here yet. 25 cents. 

Large Red Sweet. Large; round-oblong ; purplish red; cling. Aug.5 to 15. Tree 
vigorous, with healthy foliage. 25 cents. 

Le Duc. Above medium size; slightly oblong; clouded over with light red on 
yellow ; very sweet; semi-cling. July 20 to 30. 25 cents. 

Le Duc Vermilion. Medium size; round to round oblong; bright red; cling. 
Aug. 15 to 25. 25 cents. 

Leonard. Medium size; round; purplish red; cling. Aug. 5to15. Shy bearer 
here. 25 cents. 

Louisa. Large to very large; round-oblong ; purplish red; partially free. Aug. 
5 to 20 and later. Tree vigorous and productive. One of the best. 25 cents. 


Lockey. 


eenne: a No fruit this season on any of these; unfavorable weather 


Manitoba No.2. | when they were in bloom, wrought havoc with hopes centered 


Manitoba No. 4 | on new varieties. 
e e | 

Manitoba No. 5. | 

Mankato. (German Prune seedling.) Above medium size; round-oblong ; dark 
red ; semi-cling. Aug. 20 to 30. This shows no trace of Domestica blood 
here.. 25 cents. 

Marcellus. Grown from seed of Van Buren, by H. A. Terry, produced its first crop 
in 1893. Described by Mr. Terry as follows. Large ; slightly oblong ; white, 
becoming light red when fully ripe. Tree upright, strong and productive. 
New. $1.00 each. 


Marcus. Not in bearing, owing to twig-blight destroying my first planting, 28 cts, 


eo. Se 


SAITH S RED 


KASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. GF 


AMERICANA GROUP, (Continued.) 


Marion. Large to very large; round; sometimes flattened at ends; purplish 
red; cling. Aug.1to10. Tree vigorous and a good bearer; a fine variety. 
25 cents. 

Melon. New—no description. 50 cents each. 

Meyer. Large; round; purplish red on yellow; cling. Aug. 10 to 15. Tree 
vigorous ; productive. 25 cents. 

Miller. Large; round; red on orange; cling. Aug. 5to 15. Tree upright, strong 
and productive. 265 cents. 

Minnetonka. Medium to slightly above; oblong-oval; red on yellow; cling. 
Aug. 5to 15. 25 cents. 

Mollie. Originated with Theo. Williams of Nebraska, who describes it as a No. 1 
variety. Not in bearing with me. 50 cents each. 

Monon. From Indiana, not in bearing here yet, said to be large and very produc- 
tive. 25 cents. . 

Toon. Above medium to large; round-oblong; purplish; cling. Aug. 5 to 16. 
Tree twig blights here. 25 cents. 

Muncy. Large; round-oblong; dark purplish red; cling. Aug.1 to 5. Tree 
not satisfactory here. 25 cents. 

Nelly. Not bearing here, described by Mr. Luedloff of Miun., as ‘‘ very large; 
oblong ; yellow; productive and good.’’ 25 cents. 

Newton Egg. Large: oblong oval; dark redon yellow; free. Aug. 5 to JO. 
Very productive. 25 cents. 

New Ulm. Not bearing here yet. 25 cents. 

North Carolina. This too is quite susceptible to twig blight here, and has not 
fruited. 25 cents. 

North Star. New; not bearing here yet. Treea strong grower, with fine large 
foliage. 50 cents. 

Noyes. (Noyes’ Seedling.) Medium to large; globular; (sometimes flattened at 
apex end) red on yellow; cling. Aug. 10to 20. 25 cents. 

Ocheeda. Large; round; dark purplish red; cling. Aug. 5 to15. Productive. 
25 cents. 

Old Gold. Large; round to slightly oblong; clear yellow with shading of red 
around stem end, cling. Aug.5to15. Avery pretty fruit. The foliage is 
badly affected by shot-hole fungus. 25 cents. 

Pearl. Another of H. A. Terry’s productions, grown from seed of Van Buren, 
fruited first in 1896, described by him as ‘‘ Large; white, becoming pale red ; 
best quality, ripe Sept. Ist.’’ New. $1.00 each. 

Penning’s Free. Not in bearing here. Tree vigorous and healthy, said by the 
originator (Mr. Penning of Minn.) to be perfectly free. 50 cents. 

Peffer. (Peffer’s Premium.) Large; round; purplish red; cling. Aug. 5 to 20. 
Productive. 25 cents. 

Purple Yosemite. Very large; round oblong; purplish red; cling. Aug. 10 to 
20 and later. One of the best. 25 cents. 

Quaker. Large; round oblong; purple-red; cling. Aug. 1 to 10. Tree blights 
badly here. 25 cents. ‘: 

Quaker Beauty. Not bearing here. 25 cents. 

Rebecca. Above medium size; round oblong; cling. Aug. 5to15. Productive. 
25 cents. 

Reche. Large; globular; dull purplish red; cling. Aug. 5to15. Tree vigorous 
and productive. 25 cents. 

Red Cloud. Small to medium size ; round to round oblong ; mottled red; cling. 
Too small. 25 cents. 

Red Horse. Medium size; dull red; round oblong; cling. Aug. 5 to 20. Pro- 
ductive. 25 cents. 


12 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


AMERICANA GROUP, (Continued.) 


Reel. Originated by H. A. Terry of Ia., from seed of Van Buren; produced its 
first crop in 1896, and described by originator as ‘‘ Large; white, with red 
cheek, fine quality.’’ New. $1.00 each. 

Rockford. Medium size; round oblong; purple; cling. Aug. 1 told. Very 
productive. 25 cents. 

Rocky Mountain Dwarf. Above medium size; round oblong; blotched and 
clouded with purplish red on yellow ground; cling. Aug. 15 to 25. Tree of 
somewhat dwarfish habit, upright. The fruit cracks badly if weather is wet. 
25 cents. 


Rollingstone. Medium size and above; round truncate; purple; cling. Aug.1 | 


tol0. Tree twig blights here. 25 cents. 


Rollingstone Late. Grown from seed of the preceding, by O. M. Lord of Minn. 
Rather above medium size; round, inclining to truncate; purple; cling. 
Aug. 5 to 15. Tree vigorous, with distinct foliage, that resembles that of the 
Domestica somewhat. 25 cents. 


Sada. Grown from seed of Van Buren by H. A. Terry, produced its first crop in 
1893. Decribed as ‘‘ Large; nearly round; light red; good quality. Tree 
a fine grower and heavy bearer.’’ Not fruiting here yet. $1.00 each. 


Schoenthal. Medium size ; globular ; dull red; covered with heavy purple bloom ; 
semi-cling; Aug. 5to15. Tree a vigorous grower and good bearer. 25 cents. 


Silas Wilson. Grown from seed of Hawkeye, by H. A. Terry, and bore its first 
crop in 1891. The originator’s description ‘‘ Large ; round oblong ; light red ; 
skin thin; best quality; cling. Season medium to late.’”’ The tree isa 
strong grower here. 25 cents. 


Sloe. Medium size to slightly above; round oblong; purplish red; skin thick ; 
cling. Aug.1to15. Productive. 25 cents. 


Smith. Grown from seed of Quaker, by C. A. Smith of this county. Large to 
very large; round oblong ; dark red, almost maroon when fully ripe; cling. 
Aug. 1to10. Tree vigorous, healthy and productive; a fine variety. 25 
cents. 

Speer. Medium size; round-oblong; purplish red on yellow; semi-cling; Aug. 
10 to 20, not productive here. 25 cents. 


Stella. Originated by Theo. Williams of Nebraska, a gentleman who £zows and 
grows plums. This variety is named after his daughter, and described by 
Mr. Williams as follows :—‘‘ At its best, reaches the size ofa silver dollar; 
here (Nebraska) it is the earliest Americana (about Aug. Ist) and ripe, fresh 
from the tree, the best in quality of any plum we know.’”’ New, not tested 
here yet. $1.00 each. 


Sterling. Not in bearing here yet; new. 50 cents each. 


Stoddard. Very large; round; coppery red; cling. Aug 5 to 15. Tree vigorous, 
and reliably productive. One of the best. 50 cents. 


Tecumseh. (Hughes Late) Medium size ; round; mottled with rather bright red 
on yellow ; deep coppery red when fully ripe. Cling. Aug. 25 to Sept. 10. 
25 cents. 

The Cook’s Choice. Medium size; round; red on yellow; cling; Aug 1 to 10. 
25 cents. 

U. S. This was received from Mr. Williams of Nebr. under name of Brittlewood 
No. 2. Recently the originator requested me to name it, and as ‘‘ Uncle 
Sam is very busy now shooting good into bad Spaniards, a compliment from 
Pomona is not amiss. The originator describes this as very large and fine 
with him, and here the tree is a most vigorous grower, with large heavy 
foliage. $1.00 each. . 


Van Deman. Very large; round-oblong; purplish red; cling; Aug. 20 to 30. 
The fruit of this cracks badly, which is followed by rot. Tree quite vi gor- 
ous, irregular and drooping ; very productive. 25 cents. 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 13 


Ct tt 


AMERICANA GROUP, (Continued.) 


Van Buren. Large; round; red on yellow; cling. Aug. 10 to 20. Tree twig 
blights here. 25 cents. 

Weaver. Large; round-oblong ; purplish red on yellow; semi-cling. Aug. 5 to 
10 and later. Tree a prey to twig blight ; not profitable here. 25 cents. 

Wild Rose. Large; round; red on yellow; cling. Aug. 1 to10. ‘Tree vigorous 
but not productive. 25 cents. 

Winnebago. Above wnedium size; round-oblong; usually more or less lop-sided ; 
cherry red on yellow; cling. Aug.5to15. Tree vigorous and very thorny, 
producing large crops of bright colored and showy fruit, 25 cents. 

Wolf. Above medium size; round; mottled red on yellow; freestone. Aug.5 to 
15. Treeastrong grower, succeeds well here, and produces in abundance. 


25 cents. 
Wood. This variety was found in the woods of Minn. by Jos. Wood, and is de- 
scribed as ‘‘ very large, early and productive.’’ It has not fruited here yet; 


the tree is vigorous and healthy. 25 cents. 


Wyant. Large; round-oblong ; purplish red; semi-cling. Aug. 10to 20. Tree 
compact, drooping from weight of fruit which it yields in abundance; a 
good variety. 25 cents. 


Yellow Sweet. Above medium size; round, inclining to oblong; yellow, more 
or less mottled and clouded with red; soft and very sweet; cling. Aug. 1] 
to 10. 25 cents. 


The Nigra Group. 


None of the varieties in this group that have fruited here, are recommended to 
planters of the Middle Atlantic States. Some of them are shy bearers ;—others 
crack badly when fruit begins to ripen, while others are defective in tree. The 
Cheney, which is so satisfactory and fine with Mr. Harris, of Minnesota, has no 
value whatever in my orchard. For the frigid climates of Northern New England 
States, Westward along the Canadian border, and in the Northwestern States, most 
of the varieties of this group are satisfactory, and preferable, on account of their 
extreme hardness. 


August. Large; purplish red; oblong; cling. July 25 to August 10. Tree vigor- 
ous, with foliage that is quite distinct. Not productive here. 25 cents, 

Cheney. Very large; round-oblong; purplish; cling. August 5 to 10. Tree 
upright, vigorous; young growth and fruit both badly affected with ‘‘ plu m- 
pocket,’’—worse so than any other variety in my collection. 25 cents. 

Harrison Peach, Large; parplish or dull red; oblong; semi-cling. August 5 to 
10. Twig blights badly. 25 cents. 

Itaska. Medium size; dullred; cling. August 5to 15. Tree a moderate grower, 

unproductive. 26 cents. 

Oatey. This has not fruited here. Tree fairly vigorous, with healthy foliage. 
25 cents. 

Penning Peach. Not in bearing yet. The tree is a rapid grower with large heavy 
foliage. 25 cents. 

Seper Peach. Not in bearing here. Tree a strong grower; foliage healthy. 
25 cents. 

Smith Red. Very large; oblong; purplish red; cling. August 10 to20. Tree 
quite vigorous, with large, fine foliage. The best of the group here. 50 cents. 

Wazata. Medium size; round; dull red; cling. August10to15.  Treea stiff, 
stalky, upright grower, and while in bloom, is quite conspicuous and very 
ornamental, 25 cents each. 

Williams. Large; oblong, terminating ina point; red; cling. August 1 to 10. 
Tree vigorous in growth, and moderately productive. 25 cents. 


14 J. W. Kerr, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


The Miner Group. 


The varieties comprising this group are all comparitively late in ripening, 
hardy as those of the Americana group, and uniformly productive. They are all 
self-sterile here, but the kinds effectively pollinate each other, and as there is but 
little difference or variation in the time of blossoming of any two of the varieties, 
the pollination is assured by having two varieties near each other. 


Clinton. Above medium size; round; dull red; cling. Aug. 10to380. 25 cents. 

Crescent City. Above medium to large; round-oblong ; red; cling. Aug. 10 to 
20 and later. 25 cents. 

Decker. Very much like Miner in appearance; medium to large; red; fine 
quality. 25 cents. 

Esther. Above medium size; round-oblong; dark red; cling: Aug.1 to 15. 
Grown from seed of Miner by H. A. Terry of Iowa. 25 cents. 


Forrest Rose. Above medium to large; oblong; dull red; cling. Aug. 10 to 25. 
25 cents. 


Idall. Large; round; red on orange; cling. Aug. 10 to 20. A fine variety. 25 cts. 
Indiana Red. Above medium size; round; dull red; cling. Aug. 20 to 30. 25 cts. 
Iris. Medium size and below; round-oblong; dull red; cling, Aug. 20 to 30. 


Maquoketa. Large; round; coppery red; cling. Aug. 20 to 30 and later. Pro- 
ductive and good. 25 cents. 


Miner. Large; round; dullred; cling. Aug. 10 to 25 and later. The pioneer of 
the group. 25 cents, 


Nebraska. Mediuin size; round; red; cling. Aug. 25 to Sept. 10. Productive. 
25 cents. 


Prairie Flower. Large; round; dull red; cling. Aug. 15 to 25. This would be 
my first choice in the group. 265 cents. 


Rachael. Medium size; round; dull red; cling. Aug. 15 to 25. Not profitable 
here. 25 cents. 


Wier’s Large Red. Large; round; red; cling. Aug. 20 to 30. A productive 
and good variety. 25 cents. 


Wier’s No. 50. Medium to large; round; red on yellow; cling. Aug. 10 to 23. 
Tree vigorous and productive. 25 cents. 


Wilder. Large; round; red; cling. Aug. 1 to 10. Tree robust, healthy and 
productive. Grown from seed of Wildgoose, by H. A. Terry of Iowa. Fruit- 
ed first in 1885. 25 cents. 


The Wayland Group. 


It becomes clearer as time moves on, that the author of this group (Professor 
Waugh, of Vermont), performed a most excellent service to the cause, when he 
separated it from the Wildgoose. As the varieties are distinctly unlike those in 
the Wildgoose Group proper, and very much like each other in botanical and tree 
characteristics. For culinary purposes, some of the kinds are very valuable, prov- 
ing excellent substitutes in many ways, for that old-time favorite—the Damson, 
and in defiance of Curculio and Black-knot, assure an annual /arge supply. They 
are self-sterile, but almost any two varieties of the group will pollinate each other. 
They are hardy and very productive in most parts of the West, Middle West, 
Middle Atlantic States, and Southward. 


Benson. (Moreman Prune) renamed by authority from the originator, Theodore 
Williams of Nebraska. In size this is one of the largest of the group ; round; 
cherry red, becoming dark red when fully ripe; cling. August 20 to 30. 
Tree a strong grower, with pretty, healthy, rather large foliage, and very 
productive, a very fine and desirable variety. New. $1.00 each. ‘ 


Captain. Medium size; oblong; yellow; cling. August 10 to 20. ‘Tree up- 
right and productive. 25 cents. 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 15 


WAYLAND GROUP, (Continued.) 


Crimson Beauty. Medium size to slightly above; oblong; cherry red; cling. 
August 10 to 20. 25 cents. 


Cumberland. Medium size and above; oblong; yellow; cling. August 1 to 10, 
and later. 


Garfield. Medium size; oblong; blood red; cling. August 20 to 39 and later, 
very productive. 25 cents. 


Golden Beauty. Medium size; round-ovate ; yellow; semi-cling. August 20 to 
30. Some seasons later. 25 cents. 


Kanawha. Medium size to slightly above; oblong; oval; deep red; cling. 
August 25 to September 5. 25 cents. 


Leptune. Medium size; round; dark red, cling. August 15 to 25, and some 
seasons later. 25 cents. 


Missouri Apricot. (Honey Drop). Medium size ; round to round ovate; yellow; 
cling. August 20 to 30. 25 cents. 

Moreman. Medium size; round; dark red; cling. August 15 to 25. ‘Tree a 
fine grower and productive. 25 cents. 


Moreman Cherry. Originated by Theodore Williams of Nebraska, and is quite 
an improvement on the preceding. Large; bright cherry red, deepening 
into dark red when fully ripe; cling. August 25toSeptember10. Treea 
strong upright grower, forming a round, drooping head, abundantly produc- 
tive; fine. $1.00 each. 


Nimon. Large ; ovate; crimson with white dots; cling. August 15 to 30; fine 
quality. Tree vigorous, with handsome, healthy foliage. 50 cents. 


Reed. Rather above medium size; round; dark red; cling. August 15 to 25. 
Tree robust in growth, twigs stout, and clothed with beautiful, large, healthy 
foliage. A desirable variety. 25 cents. 


Sucker State. Medium size to slightly above ; round-oblong ; bright red; cling. 
August 10 to 20 and later. 25 cents. 


Wayland. Slightly above medium size when at its best; round-oblong ; bright 
pinkish red; cling. August 20 to September 5, and some seasons later. 
25 cents. 


World Beater. A duplicate of the preceeding in both tree and fruit. 25 cents. 


The Wildgoose Group. 


The mongrel character of this group, invests it with a greater value to fruit 
growers South of New York and Wisconsin than is found in any other one group 
orclass. The profits pertacre in a series ofeight or ten years, will exceed all others. 
Thereare more of them grown, so/d and consumed than of any other. The group 
however needs another shaking up, such as Prof. Waugh gave it last year. I do 
not think that such varieties as El Paso, Kroh, Macedonia, Ohio Prolific, Osage, 
Schley, Smiley, 1001, Texas Belle, and Transparent should have place in this 
group, they are too deeply inbred with Chickasaw blood. Varieties such as Down- 
ing, Choptank, Dunlap, Milton, Whitaker, Roulette and Wildgoose, cannot be re- 
lied upon to pollinate each other though they bloom simultaneously. Among the 
best pollinators for these are the Smiley, Sophie, Clifford, and the Cluck and New- 
man of the Chickasaws, though El Paso, Kroh, Osage, Schley, 1001, etc., as nam- 
ed above will answer for this purpose. 


Choptank. Large; oblong; bright red; cling; firm. July 15 to 30. Tree a fine 
vigorous grower; large, healthy foliage ; very productive. 25 cents. 

Clark. Medium size and below; round, truncated; red; cling. July 10 to 20. 
Fruit too small. 25 cents. 

Clifford. (Mrs. Clifford.) Large; oblong, sometimes pear shaped; red; cling. 
July 10 to 25. Tree vigorous and productive. 25 cents. 

Davis. Grown from seed of Wildgoose by H. A. Terry of Ia. It has not fruited 
here yet. 25 cents. 


16 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


WILDGOOSE GROUP, (Continued.) 


Downing. (Chas.Downing.) Grown from seed of Wildgoose by H.A. Terry of Ia., 
fruited first in 1885. Large; round; red; cling. July 20 to Aug. 5. Tree 
vigorous, but young shoots suffer considerable from ‘‘ Plum-pocket.” 25cents. 


Drouth King. Medium size; round to round-oblong; red; cling. Aug. 1 to 10. 
Inclined to overbear. 25 cents. 

Dunlap. (Dunlap’s No. 2.) Name as here given authorized by the originator, J.P. 
Dunlap of Nebraska. This variety succeeds admirably here, and is one of 
the finest and most profitable. Large; round, inclining to oblong; bright, 
clear red; cling. Aug.1to15. Tree quite vigorous and very productive. 
50 cents. | 

EI Paso. Above medium size; round; red; cling. July 15 to Aug. 5. 25 cents. 

Freeman. Another of H. A. Terry’s productions from Wildgoose seed. Large; 
round-oblong ; red; cling. July 25 to Aug. 10. Tree vigorous and produc- 
tive! Zo cents, ; 

Gonzales. A Texas variety, the growth and foliage of which indicate an admix- 
ture of Tri-flota or Japan blood. Not in bearing with me yet. Described by 
the introducer as follows: ‘‘ Large as Abundance and nearly same shape; 
brilliant red—dark red when fully ripe ; quality unsurpassed and hard to de- 
scribe. June 15 to 20 in Texas.’’ Would bea month later here. Budded 
on peach 4 to 6 ft. and root-grafted on plum 3 to 4 ft. $1.00 each. ; 

Hollister. Above medium size; oblong; red; cling. Aug. 1 to 10 and later. Pro- 
ductive. 25 cents. 

Indian Chief. Large; round; dull red; cling. July 15 to £5. Fruit drops as 
soon as colored. 25 cents. 

Jewell. Grown from Wildgoose seed by H. A. Terry. Above medium size ; 
round ; red on yellow ground; cling. July 25 to Aug. 10. 25 cents. 

Kroh. (Pool’s Pride.) This variety was grown all through the West under this 
name, and was re-introduced under name of Pool’s Pride. Medium size; 
round to. round-oblong ; red with many whitedots ; cling.” Very productive. 
25 cents. 

Macedonia. Medium size; round, sometimes slightly conic; red; cling. July 
25 to Aug. 10. 25 cents. 

Milton. Grown from seed of Wildgoose by H. A. Terry. If I was confined to one 
variety for market purposes this would be my choice, with Smiley to pollinate 
it. Large; round-oblong; dark red; cling. July 1 to10. Tree resembles 

Wildgoose in growth and foliage, very productive. 25 cents. 

Mule. A hybrid of Wildgoose and Troth’s Early peach. The tree partakes more 
of the peach than plum. It has no orchard value, as it is barren. 25 cents. 

Ohio. (Ohio Prolific.) Above medium size; round; bright red; cling. July 15 to 
Aug. 5. Tree vigorous and productive. 25 cents. 

Osage. Slightly above medium size; round; red; cling. July 20 to 30. Relia- 
bly productive. 25 cents. . 

Roulette. Large ; round to round-oblong; red; cling. July 26 to 30. Tree a 
vigorous grower and good bearer. 25 cents. 

Schley. (Schley’s Large Red.) Above medium size; round; red; cling. Aug. 10 
to 20. Tree sprawling in habit; not productive here. 25 cents. 

Smiley. Large; round to round-oblong; red; cling. July 15 to 30. Tree free 
and vigorous in growth; very productive ; a desirable and profitable variety ; 
valuable for fruit, as also for pollinating others of the group. 25 cents. 

Sophie. Large; necked, or pearshape ; deep red; semi-cling. July 20 to Aug.5. 
Tree vigorous and very productive if properly pollinated. This is also val- 
uable for pollinating others of this and other groups. 25 cents. 

Southern Beauty. How this was settled upon as a deauéy is puzzling. Asitisa 
hybrid similar in growth and foliage to Mule. I take it to be the Blackman, 
put out some years back; it is barren. 25 cents. 

Thousand and One. Not in bearing here yet. 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 1 


WILDGOOSE GROUP, (Continued.) 
Texas Belle. (Paris Belle.) Medium size; round; red; cling. July 20 to 30. 25cts. 
Transparent. Not bearing here. Supposed identical with Macedonia. Which see. 
Vick. (James Vick.) Another of H. A. Terry’s Wildgoose seedlings. Large; round ; 
bright red; cling. August 1 to 10. Tree vigorous, healthy ; productive. 25 cts 
Whitaker. Large; round-oblong; red; cling. July 5to 20. One of the most 
profitable market varieties. 25 cents. 
Wildgoose. Large; round-oblong; red; cling. July 5 to 20. The oldest variety 
in the group. 25 cents. 


Wooten. Above medium to large; round-oblong; red; cling. July 15 to 25. 
Productive and profitable. 25 cents. 


The Chickasaw Group. 


This, as a group is not quiteas hardy as those preceding it in this catalogue, 
the difference between it, the Wayland and the Wildgoose groups, in this particu- 
lar, is not very great however. Its home, where it succeds best and is most profit- 
able is south of ‘‘ Mason and Dixon’s”’ line, but as far north as central New York, 
some of its varieties succeed. 


African. Above medium size; round oblong; dark red; cling. July 10 to 20. 
25 cents. 


Arkansas. (Arkansas Lombard.) Above medium ; round, slightly flattened at 
ends; red; cling. Aug.1to10. Dropsoonas colored. 25 cents. 

Beaty. Slightly above medium size; round; red; cling. Aug. 1 to 10 and later. 
25 cents. 

Caddo Chief. Below medium size; round oblong; red; cling. June 25to July 5. 
Has no value here. 25 cents. 

Cluck, A Texas variety of recent introduction, and one of the best of the group. 
Large ; round to round oblong; red; cling. July 15 to 30. This is the latest 
in blossoming of any variety in my collection of this group. 40 cents. 

Coletta. Medium to large; round to round-oblong; red; cling. July 5to 15. 
25 cents. 

Early Red. Medium size ; round; red; cling. June 25 toJuly 5. 25 cents. 

Emerson. Above medium size; round; red; cling. July 1to10. 25 cents. 

Emerson Yellow. A Texas variety, not in bearing with me yet. 25 cents. 

Hughes. Slightly above medium size, when tree is not too full; round; red ; 
cling. Aug. 1to10. 25 cents. 

Jennie Lucas. Above medium size; round; yellow; cling. July 10 to 2). 25 cts. 

Lone Star. Medium to large; round-oblong; red; cling. July 10 to 20. A prof- 
itable variety. 25 cents. 

Mason. Above medium size; round; bright red; cling. July 1 to 15. 25 cents. 

Munson. Above medium to large; oblong; red; cling. July 5to15. This isa 
fine market variety ; the tree is a rapid grower and very productive. 25 cts. 

Newman. Above medium to large; round; red; cling. Aug. 1to1l5and some 
seasons to 30. Perhaps more generally known than any other variety of the 
group ; deservedly popular too. 25 cents. 

Ogeechee. Rather under medium size; round; red; cling. July 1 to10. 25 cts. 

Piram. Above medium ; round to round-oblong, usually alittle lop-sided ; yellow; 
cling. July 15 to 30. Tree bears young and abundantly. 25 cents. 

Pottawattamie. Medium size; round-oblong; red; cling. July 20 to 30; very 
ordinary here. 25 cents. . 

Robinson. Above medium size; round; red; cling. July 20 to 30. Rots more 
than any other here. 25 cents. 

Yellow Transparent. Above medium size when at its best; oblong; lemon 
yellow ; cling. July 10to 20. Tree very productive, and the fruit is good 
quality, and very pretty. 


18 J. W. Kerr, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


(SAND 


The Watsoni Group. piu) 


Acres of this group grow wild in Kansas and other Western States, where they 
defiantly endure the extremes of heat and drouth, and ‘‘ paint the land red,” so to 
speak, with great quantities of fruit. Here on the Chesapeake peninsula, there 
seems to be too much moisture in the atmosphere, for the present list of varieties, 
as they rot badly. All this rotting however, cannot be ascribed to excessive mois- 
ture in the atmosphere. The brown fruit-rot, or Montlia Fructigena, has much to 
do with it; this attacks the trees when in blossom—devastating the young wood 
with the blossoms. The varieties ‘‘Strawberry’’ and ‘‘Red Panhandle” are 
. especially subject to this injury here. The improvement of the group by culti- 
vated seedlings, it is to be hoped will overcome this weakness. The dwarfish 
character of the trees, makes them desirable where space is limited. 


Price of Trees in This Group 25 Cents Each, 


Purple Panhandle. Below medium size; round-oblong, inclining to conic; pur- 
plish red ; cling. August 10 to 25. Tree a rapid grower, with narrow, glossy 
leaves. 

Red Panhandle. Medium size; oblong; red; cling. July 25 to August 16. Tree 
straggling in habit. 

Strawberry. Medium size, sometimes below; round; red; cling. July 5 to 20. 
Tree quite dwarfish. 

Yellow Panhandle. Below medium size ; round-oblong ; yellow, nearly entirely 
overspread with bright red; cling. August 1 to 10. Tree close headed, 
symmetrical. 


The [Marianna Group. 


The varieties constituting this groop, are annually increasing in numbers. As 
in all the other groups hybridizing and crossing, is piling up trouble for the botan- 
ists. Its readiness to amalgamate with the Tri-floras is conclusively established by 
Mr. Williams of Neb., in addition to which this season has added to the collection, 
a Satsuma in flesh color. In brief the group is very promising in the line of im- 
provement at present. Like the Wildgoose group, it is an illigetimate child of 
Nature, with a low standard of family pride. 


Brill. Medium size; round, to round-oval; red; freestone. July 1 to 20. A pretty 
fruit, of good quality. 25 cents. 

Cook’s Early. Medium size; round, sometimes round oblong; red; cling. 
July 5to15. 25 cents. 

De Caradeuc. Above medium size; round, flattened at ends ; dark red when ful- 
ly ripe; cling, with a cherry flavor. July 10 to 20. Shy bearer here. 25 cts. 

Early Cherry. From California; very early ; not bearing here yet. 25 cents. 

Hattie. Medium size; round; dull red; cling. July 20 to 30. Has no orchard 
value. 26 cts. 

Hoggs’s No. 2. Similar in all respects to Marianna. Will discontinue its propa- 
gation after this season. 25 cents. 

Kelsey No. 1. A hybrid between Karly Cherry (Myrobalan) and Kelsey (Triflora) 
produced by Mr. Theo. Williams of Nebraska, from Kelsey pit, and describ- 
ed by him as follows :—‘‘ Size of Marianna; red; immensely productive ; 
good quality; no rot; during hot humid weather of July and August, of 
1896, fruit hung on the tree for four weeks, without rotting or dropping.”’ 
Trees are fine rapid growers here. $1.00 each. 

Kelsey No. 2. Another of Mr. Williams’ hybrids of same parentage. The origi- 
nator says of it,—‘‘ Larger than Marianna; Cooks like Green Gage, Color 
green when ripe.’’ Trees vigorous and healthy here. $1.00 each. 

Kelsey No. 3. Still another from same source, of same parentage, differing in 
color ; this being a pure yellow ; fruit of good quality. Tree vigorous, and 
like Nos. 1 and 2, has the foliage of Myrobalan. $1.00 each. 

Marianna. Medium size and above ; round-oblong; red; cling. Poor quality. 
July 10 to 20. 25 cents. 

Tarleton. From Georgia. Said to be very early. Not fruiting here yet; resem- 
bles Marianna in growth. 25 cents. rs 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 19 


Maritima Group. 


The list of varieties in this promising group has started growth. In my col- 
lection, for trial, there is a variety bearing yellow fruit, also one selected from the 
natural thickets of this group in New Jersey, on account of its superior size and 
quality. These have not fruited here yet, and will not be offered until after they 
do. There is no doubt, however, that the next decade will record great develop- 
ments in this group. The ‘‘P. C.’s’ are after it, and that means much. 


Bassett. (Bessett’s American.) This is the only variety I offer. It 1s small; 
round ; dark purplish-red; freestone. Aug. 20 to 30. 


(THE SAND 


Prunus Besseyli. ‘cherry, 


This group of cherries is retained, asa matter of experiment only, as here on 
my grounds none of them have a particle of merit as they now stand. The fruit is 
very inferior in quality, and with the opening of the blossoms the Monzlia fructi- 
geua begins its work of destruction, which continues throughout nearly the entire 
season of growth. ‘They hybridize with the other groups, and herein is the hope 
that retains place for them in my collection. 


Heideman’s Black. Small; oblong; black. July 10 to 20. Tree more upright 
in growth than the others. 25 cents. 


Heideman’s Red. Small; round-oblong; dark red. July 10 to 20. 25 cents. 


Heideman’s Yellow. Small; round to round oblong; greenish yellow. July 15 
to 25. 25 cents. 


Improved Dwarf Rocky Mountain. (This name needs considerable revision.) 
Small; round-oblong; black. July 10to 20. This is a prostrate bush in 
habit. 25 cents. 


Mongrels. 


These await the keen discrimination of the botanist before it can be said wha 
group they belong to. y 
Compass Cherry. Said to bea hybrid, produced by using pollen of some variety 

of native plum on Prunus Lesseyt, or Sand Cherry. The fruit with me is lit- 
tle if any larger than the old blue Damson ; oblong; dark, dingy purple ; 
cling. July 20 to 30. Tree vigorous and very productive, but the fruit rots 
badly. 650 cents. 


Maryland. Grown here from seed of ‘‘ Utah Hyrid.’’ The original tree is per- 
haps fifteen feet in height, irregular in form, the ends of limbs drooping. 
Fruit about one inch in diameter ; globular; dark purplish red ; seed flat like 
aplum seed. Quite productive, but rots considerbly here. 50 cents each. 


Varieties, the Classification of Which is Not Yet 
Determined. 


Cooper. This was produced by Mr. T. Williams, of Nebraska, from seed of Forest 
Garden pollinated with Pottawattamie. Size above medium ; round-oblong ; 
red; cling. August 20to30. Treea healthy vigorous grower, and pro- 
ductive. 450 cents. 


Forewattamie. Another of Mr. Williams’ crosses; indicated by its name. 
Medium size ; oblong; red; cling. August 15 to 25. Tree a vigorous, up- 
right grower, with good foliage. 60 cents. 

Pendent. Still another, by Mr. Williams, from seed of Pottawattamie pollinated 
with Forest Garden. Above medium size ; round-oblong ; red; semi-cling, 
Tree somewhat slender, but rapid in growth, and an early and profuse 
bearer. 50 cents. 


20 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


Tri-Flora Group.  capan. 


The strong grasp that this group held for several years upon the favor of the 
fruit-growing public, is gradually relaxing, if reports made to me by growers in 
various localities are a safe basis upon which to rest judgment. The weak points 
of the group are slowly but surely asserting themselves; among which may be 
named the inability to either resist, or recover from—injury of any kind or charac- 
ter; the general tendency of the fruit of a// of them to rot as it approaches 
maturity. Some varieties are much worse in this respect than others. The pre- 
disposition to early blossoming, exposes them to danger of injury—and not infre- 
quently destruction—of their blossoms by late frosts, so common south of Pennsyl- 
vania. ‘hey should not be too hastily condemned. When season, soil and sur- 
roundings are favorable, some of the varieties produce wonderful crops of fruit of 
fine size and quality. The present list of varieties will ’ere long be superseded by 
better ones growing out of cross-breeding—a process not nearly so difficult or 
mysterious, as it was commonly supposed a quarter of a century ago. 


Price of Trees of This Group. 


On plum root, 3 to 5 feet, 20 cents each. $12.00 per 100. 
66 66 66 2 to 3 “6 5) é «6 10.00 6 (6 
Root grafted on peach 3to5 “ 13 tie 4 10.000 Fee 


The following varieties root-grafted on peach, viz.:—Wickson Mikado, Juicy, 
White Kelsey, Wassu, Sagetsuna, Furugiya, Wasse Sumomo, O. Hatankyo. 

Budded on peach, 3 todfeet, 10 cents each. $6.00 per 100. Varieties as 
follow: Wickson, Mikado, Juicy, Chabot, Abundance and Red June. All varieties 
not named above are on plum root only. 


Those root-grafted on peach are much superior to such as are budded, this is 
especially the case, with such kinds as are hardier than the stocks, as all of the 
peach stock is well below the surface, and the graft generallyithrows out roots above 
stock, leaving the varieties on ¢hezr own roots. When dudded on peach, or plum 
either, this never occurs. 


Abundance. (Botan.) Large; round to round-oblong; mottled, sometimes 
shaded entirely over with red; cling. Medium early. Tree upright, vigor- 
' ous; very productive, but rots considerable. 


Berckmans. (True Sweet Botan.) Large; round to slightly oblong; red on 
yellow; cling. Medium early. On some soils the flesh is dry and lumpy, 
but with me it is very fine. Tree upright and productive. 


Berger. Small; round; red; free. Early. Shy bearer here. 


Burbank. Large; round-oblong, slightly conical; marbled and overspread with 
red ; a week or more later than Abundance ; cling. Tree unsightly, sprawl- 
ing, but a rank grower. Wholly valueless here ; fruit rots so fearfully. 

Chabot. (Bailey.) Large; round-oblong inclining to conic ; lively red on yellow; 
cling ; a week later than Burbank. Tree vigorous, upright ; very productive. 
One of the best varieties here. 


Chase. (Yellow Japan.) Above medium size; round-ovate; red on yellow; cling. 
Ripens with Chabot, but is not as fine here. 


Delaware. Medium size ; dark purple; red flesh. ‘Tree a dwarfish grower. Of 
no value here. 


Engre. Medium and above; round; red; cling. Tree vigorous, with heavy 
‘twigs. Earlier than Abundance, but worthless here on account of rot. 
Excelsior. A cross between Kelsey and some variety of the Chickasaw group. 

When at its best the fruit is large; round, pointed; dark red; cling. Tree 
quite rapid in growth, with clean bright foliage, resembling that of the 
Chickasaws. The variety is increasing in promise as the trees get older here. 
Furugiya. Very closely resembles Chabot, Orient, etc., and possibly is the same. 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 21 


TRI-FLORA GROUP, (Continued.) 


Georgeson. (Hattonkin No. 1.) Above medium size; round; yellow; cling. A 
week later than Burbank. A poor bearer here. 

Hale. Large; round-cordate; greenish yellow with very light streaks and shad- 
ings of red; cling. Tree a vigorous grower. On plum 50 cents each. 
Budded on peach, 25 cents each. 

Hytankayo. Not fruiting here yet. 

Juicy. Above medium size; round-oblong; yellow, slightly blushed with light 
red; cling. Fruited sparingly for the first, this season, rots easily. Treea 
rapid grower, and its foliage exhibits Chickasaw features. 

Kelsey. Very large; conical; pointed; greenish yellow with more or less red, 
some seasons nearly covered with red. Varies greatly in its season of ripen- 
ing here, some seasons all through August; others, all through September. 
Tree is vigorous and as hardy here as the others. 

Kerr. Medium to large ; conical, pointed; bright yellow; cling. Ten days ear- 
lier than Abundance. Tree vigorous and productive. 

Long Fruit. Small; round to round-oblong; red; cling. Early, but rots badly. 

Marn. Above medium size; depressed at apex ; a rich yellow ground, nearly en- 
tirely covered with red; semi-cling. Tree fairly vigorous, forming a com- 
pact symmetrical head; foliage smaller than others of the group; ripens so 
as to ship with last pickings of Abunance. | 

[ikado. Reports on this variety are conflicting. Summed up, it isnot meeting 
the strong claims made for it, as to size, by the introducer. In Nebraska it 
is found to bealmost identical with the Normand. It has not fruited here yet. 

Nagate No Batankyo. This is very similar to Red June, if not the same. ; 

Normand. Medium to large; slightly conical; yellow; free. Ripens soon after 
Abundance. Tree vigorous, spreading; fruit rots badly here. 

Ogon. Medium to large; round; sometimes flattened at ends; light yellow; 
free. Tree vigorous, upright and compact. 

O Hatankyo. Not fruiting here, said to be early. 

Red June. Medium to slightly above; conical; bright red; cling. Tree vigorous, 
rather upright; productive; rots some here. Ripens before abundance. 
Perhaps the best early red variety. 

Sagetsuna. Has not fruited here yet. 

Satsuma. Above medium to large; sometimes conical; dark, dull red, nearly 
black when fully ripe; flesh dark red and clings to the seed. Tree vigorous, 
irregular and somewhat sprawling in habit. Of no value here. | 

Uchi-Beni. Medium size ; round to round-ovate ; bright red; cling. Ripens be- 
fore Abundance. Not productive here. 

Wasse Botonkyo. Has not fruited here yet. 

Wasse Sumomo. Small; round-oblong, pointed. EarlyasRedJune. Rotseasily. 

Wassu. Has not produced fruit here yet. 

White Kelsey. Large; conical; pointed; greenish white. Ripes a little later. 
than Chabot. Good. Tree a vigorous grower. 

Wickson. Large; long-cordate; dark red; cling. Tree a handsome upright 
grower, and in habitand foliage hassome resemblance to the ‘‘Simonii.’’ Rots 
badly here. 

Willard. Above medium size; round; red; free. Ripens before Red’ June. 
Tree short lived here. An inferior variety every way. 

Yosebe. (Earliest of all.) Small; round-olong ; red; free. The earliest red col- 
ored variety; here it and Kerr ripened same time the last two seasons. Tree 
upright and wonderfully productive. The foliage of this variety, when at 
bearing age is quite distinct, being more lauceolate in form than any other 
in my collection. paves . 


22 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


APPLE TREES. 


The stock in this department is unusually fine, clean and vigorous. The collec- 
tion embraces such kinds only, with high rating for profit and excellence, in their 
respective seasons of ripening. During the last twenty-five years, more than four 
hundred varieties of this fruit have been tested on these grounds, affording oppor- 
tunity to judge fairly as to comparative value. This has been expensive experience, 
—costing much in valuable time, as well as labor. If I were planting an apple 
orchard for market purposes zow, ten would be the maximum number of varieties ; 
if the orchard was for family use, I should not care to go beyond fifteen oreighteen | 
kinds. It costs just as much to grow and care for, a worthless or unprofitable 
variety, as it does for the best. It takes several years of care and culture to bring 
an apple tree into bearing ; itis very important that no mistake is made in the se- 
lection of kinds. Itis far safer to pay a fair price and get trees, and varieties that 
you can rely on, than to risk time and trouble on the Junk-shop priced trees offered 
in many places. Zhe very best are none too good to care for five to eight years be- 
fore receiving anything in return. 


Price of Apple Trees. 
Unless otherwise noted prices are as follows, viz.: 44 to 7 ft.15 cents each,$1.50 


per doz. $10 per hundred. 

Stayman Winesap, 5 to 7 ft. 20 cents each, $2 per doz., $15 per 100. _ 

ts KK 3 to 5 ft. clean and vigorous, 15 cts each. $1.50 per doz, $10 

per 100. Thestock of this unusurpassed winter variety is especially fine. Can 
supply a medium grade 4 to 6 feet, very handsome trees, in large quantities. 

Bryant, 4 to 6 feet 25 cents each, $2.50 per dozen. 

Oliver, (Senator,) 4 to 6 feet 25 cents each, $2.50 per dozen. 

Summer King, 4 to 6 feet 20 cents each, $2 per dozen, $15 per 100. 

Where less than 6 trees of a kind are taken, the price per single tree is charged 
—from 6 to 12 tree of one variety, at dozen rates. Orders of 50 to 100 trees, made 
up of a number of varieties, are charged at single tree and dozen rate. 


Summer Varieties. 


Charlotten Thaler. Very similar in tree and fruit to Yellow Tranparent and 
Grand Sultan, so much so indeed, that it may be said of these as was the case 
with the very early varieties of peaches a few years back, ‘‘ If you have one 
you have all.’’ Medium to large size; pale sulphur yellow. Tree bears 
young and abundantly. 

Fourth of July. Medium to large; striped with red. A profitable market variety. 
Tree upright ; vigorous. 

Red Astrachan. Large; striped and overspread with red. A well known market 
variety. 

Early Colton. An improvement on the Early Harvest. Medium to large ; yellow; 
good for either home use or market. Tree spreading and irregular in form; — 
quite productive. 

Early Ripe. Medium and above; bright yellow. Tree upright, vigorous and pro- 
ductive. A fine apple for both home use and market. 

Fanny. Medium to slightly above ; covered with two shades of red; handsome. 
Tree a fine upright, strong grower and good bearer. A week to ten days 
later in season than Early Ripe; fine quality ; a profitable variety. 

Williams Red. Medium, and often under, in both size and quality; bright red ; 
sells well in market; does not suceeed everywhere. 

Hames. Medium to large; red; fine quality. Tree upright, vigorous, forming a 
handsome round head, Productive and profitable. 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 23 


APPLE TREES, (Continued. ) 


Sandbrook. Medium size when well grown ; handsomely striped with red, some- 
times entirely covered ; quality best. Tree upright, and quite productive. 
A very desirable variety for the family orchard. 


Gravenstein. One of the most desirable kinds for the family orchard, spreading 
its time of ripening over a long period. Above medium size; striped with 
red, sometimes entirely covered. Tree vigorous and very productive. 
Ripens all through August. 


Summer King. The finest of its season. Above medium to large; beautifully 
striped and covered with two shades of red; flesh tender and very fine in 
quality. Tree quite upright and vigorous, forming a beautifulround head in 
orchard. Season August. A desirable variety for either family use or market. 


Golden Sweet. Large; yellow; sweet ; productive. Tree vigorous, but irregular 
in habit. .With some growers, this variety proves quite profitable as a market 
variety. 


Fall Varieties. 


Maryland Maidens’ Blush. The best of all Fall apples for this Peninsula. The 
prefix Maryland was added by the lamented Downing, that it might be 
readily distinguished from the New Jersey variety called Maiden’s Blush. 
This Maryland variety originated on this Peninsula, and it is impossible now 
to know whether in Delaware or this State. When well grown it is above 
medium size; yellow, with a distinct blush ; flesh white, tender, and of fine 
texture ; quality fine. Tree vigorous, bears young, and abundantly ; seems 
to succeed on nearly all kinds of soil. 


Wine. (Pa. Redstreak, Hayes, etc.) Large; covered with red, of two shades, in 
stripes. Anexcellent Fallapple. Tree a free grower and heavy bearer. 
Succeeds well on light soils. 


Fallawater. Very large; greenish yellow, sometimes blushed more or less with 
red. Tree a strong grower and heavy bearer. 


Excelsior. Origin, Queen Anne Co., Md. Above medium size, usually overspread 
with bright red. Tree vigorous, upright, round headed, symmetrical and 
compact in orchard ; productive ; fine quality. 


Jefferis. Medium and above; yellowish green striped with red; quality best. 
Tree round headed and regular in forni ; requires generous treatment to 
bring it to its best. 


Winter Varieties. 


Stayman Winesap. (See cut on cover.) One of the finest apples under cultiva- 
tion, so much superior to its parent—the old Winesap, in size, flaver, color, 
and keeping qualities, as to completely crowd it out where both are known. 
It originated with Dr. Stayman of Kansas, and was in bearing with me ten 
years ago. Its merits were.so pronounced from the first, as to warrant strong 
commendation which was cautiously bestowed in my annual catalogues. 
From my oldest trees, specimens have been exhibited at County Fairs, and 
Horticultural meetings, and sent to many pomologists and prominent grow- 
ers. Itis now attracting attention everywhere as a profitable market variety. 
It has large size, bright red color, great productiveness, and best quality to 
commend it. The tree is a vigorous grower, and like its parent is irregular 
and drooping in habit, and adapts itself readily to different soils and situa- 
tions. Truly it isa great apple. The engraving as shown here, was repro- 
duced from a photograph—natural size—of a fair specimen, and is a conserv- 
ative representation of form and size. 


24 J. W. Kerr, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


APPLE TREES, (Continued.) 


Paragon. (Mammoth Black Twig, Arkansaw, etc.) Two trees standing side by 
side in a trial orchard here, both top worked, the one with scious from Tenn- 
essee, the other with scions from Arkansas—both bearing, disclose no differ- 
ences by which I can separate the apples when placed in same basket. 
There may be a difference (?) but I fail in every effort to find it clearly 
defined. Large; darker red than Stayman Winesap. Tree and fruit are 
both of the Winesap type. A productive and valuable variety for either the 
family or market orchard. 

Springdale, This Arkansas variety has only produced its second crop with me; 
in size it grades from medium to large; red. Tree upright, vigorous. A 
promising market variety. 

Dr. Noyes. Above medium size; bright waxy red. A beautiful apple of good 
quality. Keeps well till March here. ‘Tree upright, regular and shapely in 
form, and a good bearer. 

McNash. Rather under medium size ; greenish yellow, usually with slight brown- 
ish blush on exposed side; fine quality and a good keeper. Treea rapid, 
upright grower, of faultless form in orchard, the bluish tint of the leaves giy- 
ing it distinctness ; productive and desirable for family orchard. 

Stayman Sweet. Above medium size; entirely covered with red. Tree vigorous, 
upright and productive. A fine sweet apple,—good keeper. 

Stayman No. 2. Under medium size; striped and covered with two shades of 
dullred. Tree a strong grower and quite upright in habit. A good bearer 
and long keeper. 

Stayman No. 1. Medium size; red. Tree vigorous, upright and productive. 
Season here January to March. 

York Imperial. Medium size; flattish, oblique. streaked and often entirely 
covered with crimson red. Tree fairly vigorous, and quite productive. Sea- 
son here january to March. 

Kinnaird. Medium size; red. Tree a rapid grower, and drooping in habit, like 
Winesap, when in bearing ; very productive ; a good keeper. 

Oliver. (Senator.) Large; bright red with many large russet dots; a beautiful 
apple, but not a good keeper here. Tree vigorous and productive. 

Bryant. Originated in Virginia. Large; dark red, with numerous large russet 
dots. Tree fairly vigorous, and upright. Season, late winter. 

Arkansas Beauty. Above medium size; red; handsome. ‘Tree seems to be de- 
fective in foliage here, it makes rapid growth in the fore part of the season, 
but sheds most of its leaves in August, which affects unfavorably, the quality 
of the fruit. 

Shackelford. From the South-west. Large; red. Tree a vigorous grower, with 
healthy foliage. 

Akin. Medinm size; red; fine quality. Tree a good grower and bearer. 


Crab Apples. 


4to6 feet. 20 cents each. $2 per dozen. 


Orange. Above medium size. Golden yellow. Fine. 
Hyslop. Slightly above medium size. Dark red. 
Montreal Beauty. Medium size. Crimson. 

White. Medium size. Nearly white. 

Stayman. Large. Red. Good quality. 

Yellow Siberian, Small, Yellow. 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 95 


PEACH TREES. 


This immediate locality has never hada case of the ‘‘ Yellows.’’ Every pre- 
eaution is exercised in the selection of seed and buds to insure absolute freedom 
from this ‘‘ dread malady.’’ The most critical personal supervision is given to 
every detail in propogation, that the purchasers interests may be fully protected 
against, not only impurity of varieties, but all danger of disease as well. I do not 
grow half-a-million trees annually, that would make it impossible for me to know 
certainly whether or not they are all true and genuine, but when the quantity is 
limited to one hundred thousand, I can cut ‘all the buds myself and personally su- 
perintend all other operations of propogation and culture. Therefore, without hes- 
itancy, and with a feeling of confidence, I say my varietiers are pure and genuine. 

Prices, 4 to 5 feet $6.00 per 100, $50 per 1000. 3 to 4 feet $5.00 per 100, $40 per 
1000. 2 to 3 feet $4.00 per 100, $25 per 1000. 


Varieties Named in Order of Ripening. 


Triumph. Yellow, liberally blushed with red, rather below medium size; free 
when fully ripe. The earliest yellow peach. 

Japan Blood. Medium size; greenish white, blushed nore or less with red, semi- 
cling. Tree dwarfish, rots considerably. 

Rivers. Medium size and above; white, blushed with pinkish red, free only 
when fully ripe ; rots easily. 

St. John. Medium to large; yellow; free. 

Troth. Small; skin greenish white, blushed and often covered with red ; free. 

Mountain Rose. Medium to large; skin greenish, shaded entirely over with red; 
free. A good market variety. 

Amelia. Large; skin greenish, shaded over with red ; free. 

Crawford Early. Large; yellow, blushed with red ; free. 

Foster. Large ; yellow, blushed; free. A fine market variety. 

Mary’s Choice. Large to very large; yellow, blushed with red; free. A very 
fine peach for either family or market orchard. 

Reeves Favorite. Large to very large; yellow, blushed with red; free. One of 
the most popular and profitable market varieties grown on the peninsula. 

Elberta. Very large; yellow, blushed; free. The most popular variety under 
cultivation. Tree a strong grower and heavy bearer of peaches that bring the 
highest prices in market. 

Old Mixon. Medium to large; greenish white, overspread with red; free. When 
well grown this is unexcelled in quality. A deservedly popular variety. 

Great Eastern. Large; skin white, shaded over with red; free. This is a fine 
peach in all respects. 

Bequett Cling. Large to very large; skin greenish white, shaded with red. A 
sure and heavy bearer. 

Bequett Free. Large to very large ; skin greenish white, shaded with red. Free. 
Same season as the preceding, and similar in all respects, except that it is a 
freestone. 

Stump. Above medium to large; greenish white, shaded more or less with red ; 
free. A good variety. 

Wheatland. Large to very large; yellow, blushed with red; free. A handsome 
peach. Tree a shy bearer. 

Crawford Late. Large; yellow, blushed, and sometimes nearly covered with 
dull red; free. A popular market variety. 

Chairs Choice. Large; yellow, blushed; free. Much like the preceding kind, 
hardier in blossom. A profitable market variety. 


26 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


PEACH TREES, (Continued.) 


Brandywine. Large to very large; skin greenish yellow, shaded more or less 
with dull red; free. Tree is rather a shy bearer. 

Fox. (Fox’s Seedling.) Medium size; skin greenish, nearly shaded over with 
red; free. Very productive. 


Hold On. (Garey’s.) A fine peach of the Beers Smock type, fruit averages larger 
and less inclined to shrivel in dry seasons. Large; yellow, blushed; free. 

Orange Smock. Large; yellow, with red blush. With good culture in good soil, 
the best of any of the Smock type. 

Heath Cling. (Mammoth Heath.) A Missouri peach of the Heath strain. Large; 
white, blushed with red; requires high culture. 


Henrietta. Large; yellow; cling. When well grown and fully matured, a peach 
of excellent quality. Retains largely its natural flavor when canned. 


Bilyeu. Medium size and above; skin greenish, overspread with red; free. Tree 
a shy bearer, very late. 


A Valuable New Variety, 


Denton. This was grown from seed of Early Beauty, pollinated with Elberta. 
The fruit resembles that of Elberta, but is a full week to ten days later in 
season. The tree, though grown from Early Beauty seed, is much like 
Elberta in habit and foliage. So far it has proven remarkably certain as a 
bearer, producing five successive crops—bearing when all other kinds in my 
collection failed. It prolongs the season of the ideal market peach—Elberta 
—is equally as large, and even more reliably productive. A limited supply 
of trees of this valuable peach, is offered for the first time, at prices as fol- 
low. 4 to 6 feet, 50c each; $5 per doz.; $30 per 100. 3 to 4 feet, 35c each ; 
$3 per doz.; $20 per 100. 


Standard Pear Trees. 


On Oriental stocks, 5 to 7 feet, 20 cents each ; $15 per 100. 


OSBAND SUMMER. KIEFFER. LAWRENCE. 
CLAPP’S FAVORITE, LAWSON. SECKEL.,. 
GARBER. ANJOU. BARTLETT. 


and others. 


Dwarf Pears. 


Duchess. Is the only variety that succeeds well enough as a dwarf to be profit- 
able. 3 to 4 feet, 20 cents each; $2 per doz.; $12 per 100. 


Cherry Trees. 


One year, 3 to 5 ft. 20 cts. each, $15 per 100. 


BLACK TARTARIAN. MAY DUKE. MONTMORENCY. 
GOV. WOOD. EARLY RICHMOND. OLIVET. 
NAPOLEON. WRAGG. DYEHOUSE. 


and others. 


KASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. a7 


Apricot. 


Budded on peach, 8 to 5 feet. 25 cents each. $2.50 per dozen. 
Cluster. New, of special merit because of its blooming later than other sorts. 


Quince Trees. 


2to8feet. 20 cents each. $2 perdozen. $15 per 100. 


Meech Prolific. Rea’s Mammoth and Bently ; also Chinese (Hong Kong.) 
Very large. Excellent for preserving or for jelly. 8 to 5 feet, 50 cents each 


Mulberries. 


6 to 8 feet. Fine vigorous trees. 50 cents each. 


Downing and Hicks varieties. Both fine. Quite Productive. Berries large, long, 
black, ripening over a long period. 


Juneberry. owarr, 


A dwarf form of this mild flavored, pretty berry. The little bushes—one to 
three feet high, produce heavy crops. The birds seem fonder of this than cherries. 
Plants 12 to 18 inches $1.00 per doz. 


Grapes. 
Two years,—well rooted. 

BLACK. EACH. PER DOZ. 
EACH. PER DOZ. AMBER QUEEN a teccccencce > 15 bl 00 
MOORES EARLY, $5per100$ 15 $1 50|JEFFERSON.................. 15 1 50 
EARLY VICTOR.........:.. 15 160 PUES TER. cies sncseacka sees 15 1 50 
BO DAW Ni sicecssescs, 15 150} WOODRUFF.................. 15 1 50 

VVIOTEDOYON Foo sca cs.tecncacesiese 15 1 50 WHITE 
CONCORD.,......64 per 100 10 1 00) DIAMOND 2.0... $ 15. $1, 50 
WILDER. ...........ecseeeeeeees TOO | NAGAR Avie. (se. loz, 1,50 
HERBERT .............::00005 EOE OEP OO ORTON GIN Begs cccreactcsie 15 150 
PARCEEAISAIN DD oo ccasates see 15 1 50| POCKLINGTON............. 15 1 50 
BLACK EAGLE.............. Too LOU MAR TH A lai able. aie cies. 10 100 
NECTAR... eeeccsee seers 2 ee UL LA DN cc Save dtavies aioe 15 gh wep) 
SEINE ELAN con soce see dheccssacers 20 2 00) BMPIRE STATE............ 15 1h 50) 
RED. LADY WASHINGTON... 15 1 50 
WOMINGIES 2208. i aS $ 15 $1 50} GENEVA. ...............c0.0868 15 1 50 
eR ON cdc pac oe sence 15 1.60) | ROMMELUI ZS, aeieekit 20 2 00 
BERCKMANG................. 15 1 50} WINCHELL................... 20 2 00 
VERGENNEBG................- 162... 1,50): DUCHESS we. ii ayn das TS g re 60 

° (JAPAN 
Kaki. PERSIMMON.) 


Tane-Nashi. Specimens of this were grown here last season that measured, 103 
inches aroun’. Yellow; seedless, and excellent. 


38 J. W. Kerr, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


KAKI, (Continued. ) 


Yemon. Very large; yellow. Tree a good grower; very producttve; fruit of 
fine quality. 

Hachiya. Very large; dark yellow. Tree vigorous; moderately productive. 

Yeddo Itchi. Medium size; light yellow. Tree quite vigorous, and bears well. 

Kuro-Kuma and Dai-dai, do uot seem to be as hardy in tree as the others. These 
are all worked on Native persimmon stocks. Root-grafted trees 1 to 2 feet, 
50 cents each. 

Chinese Persimmon. Said to be hardier in tree than those of Japan, with fruit 
that is large and fine in quality. I have not fruited this here yet. Trees 12 
to 18 inches, root-grafted 50 cents. ris 

Early Golden. A very fine American variety, large size, and ripening before 
frosts occur here. Tree a rank grower and young bearer. 2 ft. 50 cents each. 


Eleagnus. 


Umbellatta. <A vigorous growing bush six to ten feet high ; bears enormous crops 
of red berries, the size of large currants. Excellent for pies, sauce or jelly. 
Ripens in October when most other fruits are gone. Both sexes are not 
present in the flowers of a single tree, so that to insure a crop it is necessary 
to have two trees. I have both forms, propagated separately. 15 cents each. 
$1.50 per dozen, for plants 14 to 2 feet. 


Longipes. This variety grows on stems, like cherries; the berry is larger than 
that of preceding, but not as palatable. Season July. 20 cents each. 


Paw-Paw. 
__ Trees one to two feet, from choice seed. 25 cents each.. This is a small tree, 
with large healthy foliage; forms a nice pyramidal head when given room to grow; 


should have rather moist soil. The fruit when ripe, is lusciously sweet and custard 
like. Season last of October and later. 


Gooseberries. 


Houghton. The standard market variety, less subject to mildew than others. 
Plants, 2 years, weli rooted, 10 cts each, 75 cts per doz, $4 per 100, $30 per 1000. 


Currants. 


North Star. New, red, very productive. $1.50 der doz, $10 per 100. 


Blackberries. 


Early Harvest. With good culture, pruned close enough to prevent overbearing, 
this is the best early variety. 50 cts per doz, $2 per 100, $7 per 1000. 

Minnewaski. Large and very fine when properly matured and cultivated. Later 
in season than the preceding. 75 cts. per dozen, $4 per 100. 


bo 
te) 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 


Raspberries. 


Tiller. One of the earliest and most productive red varieties, a fine market va- 
riety. 60 cts per dozen, $2 per 100, $8 per 1000. 


Thompson. Early; red; prolific. 25 cts per doz, $1 per 100. 


Strawberry=Raspberry. 


Well rooted plants. 10 cents each. 75 cents per dozen, $5 per 100. 


Mayberry. 


Strong plants. 10 cents each. 75 cents per dozen. 


Strawberries. 


Per 100. Per 1000 Per 100. Per 1000 
MICHEL, Perfect blossom, $ 50 $200) Wm. BELT, Perf. blossom, $ 50 $83 00 
ORIOLE, Imperfect ‘ 50 3800|SPLENDID, Perf. A 50 800 
IDEAL, Perfect rt 50 300| CLYDE, Perf. ‘s 510 «=68. 00 
LOVETT, “ Rs 50 3800|/ENORMOUS, Imp. ‘ 50 »=6300 
TENNESSEE, Per. ‘ ' 60 3800| HALL FAVORITE, Perf. blos. 50 300 
BUBACH, Imp. zs 50 3:00 


25 cents per 100 additional when sent by mail. 


Rhubarb. 


Myatt’s Linnzeus. One of the finest varieties. Plants from divided stools is the 
only way to get it true, as seedlings vary in habit and quality. 15 cents each. 
$1.50 per dozen. 


SHADE TREES. 


Norway Maple. One of the most beautiful and perfect of shade trees. 8 to 10 
feet, 50 cents each. 6 to 8 feet, 35 cents each. 4 to 6 feet, 25 cents each. 


Sugar [laple. 8 to 10 feet, 50 cents each. 
Wier’s Cut-leaf. A very handsome and graceful shade tree. 6to8 ft. 50 cts. each. 


Silver-leaf. A fine healthy rapid growing tree. The name serves to confound 
this sometimes with the Silver Poplar which is objectionable on account of 
its throwing up so many suckers or sprouts from the roots. The Silver 
Maple does not sucker, but is a nice clean tree for either street or yard plant- 
ing. Nice clean trees 7 to 9 feet, 25 cents each. 


Horse Chestnut. 5to7 feet, 50 cents each. 


Styrax, (Japan.) Too small for shade purposes, but extremely ornamental for 
lawn planting. 6to7 feet, 50 cents each, 


30 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND, . j 


NUT TREES. 
Chestnuts. 


Paragon. This is the best of the Spanish strain. Very large; as good in quality 
as any of its type; medium early. Tree vigorous, healthy and very pro- 
ductive, bears when quite young. Root-grafted, 2 feet, 50 cents each ; $5.00 
per dozen. 1 to 14 feet, 25 cents; $2.50 per dozen. Seedlings of this from 
choice nuts. One year. $15 per 100. 

Ridgely. Not quite as large, early or productive as Paragon. Same price. 

Numbo. Similar to the Ridgely, but a little later. Same price. 


Japanese Chestnuts. 


Cut of Dr. Black on outside of cover, which is from a natural size photo of a burr. 
Dr. Black. A valuable, very early variety ; very productive. One of the earliest 
under culture. Ist to 15th of Sept. here. Root-grafted trees 3 to 4 feet, 

$1.00 each ; $10 per doz. 14 to 23 feet, 75 cents each; $7 per dcz 


\ 
\ 


\ 
NY 


\Y 
AY 


CoconEL MGARTIN | 
__ This cut represents an average burr of this variety, they not unusually appear 
with five large nuts in them. This is as large as the largest under culture. Tree 
quite vigorous and productive, ripems quite early. Same price as above, 


EASTERN SHORE NURSERIES. 31 


The Kerr is not as 
large as the Col. Mar- 
tin but averages larger 


than the Dr. Black. i 

Nut dark brown in col- = ONY | Ki 
or, never more than \\ A\We 
three nuts to the burr \ \ i, Y 
which has much short- Y 


er spines, and some- 
times is half bald. 
The tree is a fine grow- 
er, and bears heavily, 
Ripe first half of Sept. 
Same price as the 
others. 

Biddle. Nuts very 
large; light brown ; 
burrs large containing ~ 
two to five nuts. Early — 
but a few days later 
than the others, same 
price, 

Seedlings. Grown 
separately of each of 
the above described 
varieties, from select- 
ed nuts; and whichin 
most instances will 
vary bnt little from . 

arents. One year 12 
18 inches, $3 per AERR. 
doz., $15 per 100. 


For profitable grove culture, the large, early Japans are preferable. They are 
ripe when prices are best—they bear young and abundantly—they sustain a much 
smaller per cent. of injury from the chestnut curculio, or weevil than the others. 
Their size and earliness completely obscures their quality. 


Filberts. 


English. Nearly round. Very productive here. 
Kentish Cob. Large. Not as productive as the English but larger. Trees of 
these, 3 to 4 feet, 25 cents. 


Shellbark. 


Seedlings from selected nuts. 4 to 6 feet, carefully dug, 50 cents each. 3 to 
feet 25 cents each. 


Walnuts. 


Japan—Sieboldiana. 1 foot, 25 cents each. 
Butternut. (Long, or White Walnut.) 3 to 4 feet, 25 cents each, 


32 J. W. KERR, DENTON, MARYLAND. 


Hardy Flowering Shrubbery. 


Weigela Candida. Creamy white, very fine, 20 cents each. 

Weigela Groenewegeni. Solid bright red, very showy. 20 cents each. 
Weigela Van Houtii. Light red, free bloomer. 20 cents each. 
Weigela [ultiflora floribunda. Maroon color. 20 cents each. 


DEUTZIA. Pride of Rochester. Pure white, very double, a very ornamental, 
fine plant. 20 cents each. 


Deutzia, Crenata, flora plena. Pinkish color, pretty. 10 cents each. 
Lilac, Cerulea superba. Purple. Showy and fine. 25 cents each. 
Lilac, white. Common white. 15 cents each. 


Lilac, Japan. A full month later in blooming than the others, and the trusses of 
flowers are of immense size, pure white. 25 cents each. 


Spirea. Thumbergs, Reeveesi, double and single. 20 cents each. 
Honeysuckles. Hall’s and Chinese. 20 cents each. 

Forsythias. Hydrangea paniculata. Fine plants, 20 cents each. 
Hypericum Aureum. 25 cents. 

Exochorda grandiflora. 25 cents. 

Altheas, double. 3 to 4 feet 25 cents each. 

Japan Quince. Strong bushy plants, 15 cents each ; $10.00 per 100. 
Peony, herbaceous. Color white and pink, good plants, 15 cents each. | 


Erianthus Ravenna. (Elephant grass.) Hardy perennial, fine plumes similar to 
Pampas, good strong plants ready for blooming first season, 25 cents each. 


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STAYMAN WINESAP 


PANN 


3 0112 106076786 


